Romaine Sawyers was clearly not to the taste of Valerien Ismael this summer at West Bromwich Albion and his subsequent loan move to Stoke City has got off to a good start.

Alongside Jake Livermore in central midfield Sawyers was a huge part of West Brom earning automatic promotion from the Championship in 2019/20.

However, the Baggies went on to have an awful 2020/21 season in the Premier League where their fate looked sealed from very early on in the campaign.

A fresh start and a new challenge has worked well for the 29-year-old, whose contract at the Hawthorns is up in the summer, and he will likely remain a significant player in the Potters' push for a top six finish this season.

The St Kitts and Nevis international has made 11 appearances in total at Stoke and opened his account for the club in Saturday's defeat at Millwall.

What a goal it was to break his duck, a classy left footed volley from the edge of the box gave Stoke the lead at The Den before Tom Bradshaw popped up with a second half brace to turn the match on its head.

Stoke fell out of the play-offs as a result but the signs have still been positive that they will be fighting at the top end come May.

Sawyers' experience along with the likes of Mario Vrancic and Ben Wilmot, having achieved promotion to the top-flight in recent years should give the Potters an edge when the crunch encounters arrive.

With Sawyers' deal at The Hawthorns up at the end of the season it is very unlikely, unless Ismael is no longer in his post, that he will be offered a new contract.

Therefore, building some good relationships and gaining the trust of Michael O'Neill at Stoke will give the 29-year-old the best chance of finding a new club with ambitions of getting back into the Premier League.