Stoke City defender Josh Tymon has opened up about his desire to prove his worth to his parent club, following an impressive start to his time out on loan with Portuguese side Famalicao.

Tymon struggled to make a real impression at the Bet365 Stadium last season, playing only 133 minutes of football, and the 20-year-old had options to consider for a loan move in the summer, but he has elected to make a move abroad with Famalicao in the Primeira Liga.

At Famalicao, who were only promoted to the Portuguese top flight last season, Tymon is working under Joao Pedro Sousa who was Hull City's assistant manager during the 20-year-old's spell with the Tigers - and that relationship is paying off with the defender producing some impressive performances, and helping his side sit top of the league after seven games, ahead of the likes of Benfica and Porto.

Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, Tymon has insisted that although he is enjoying his time in Portugal working with Sousa, that he is very much aiming to return to Stoke and fight for his place again next season, saying "I wouldn’t have signed for Stoke on a long-term deal if I didn’t want to play for the club. It’s a fantastic club with some of the best people I’ve met in football. I want to play for the club.

"I chose to come out here and play so I could show the club and fans what I can do.

"I understand that some of my performances weren’t good enough at Stoke so I want to show the manager I can handle this level. I want to show that whenever I go back I’ll be ready to push for a place in starting XI. That’s what I want to do."

The Verdict

Tymon has certainly taken his opportunity during the start of his loan move to Famalicao, with the 20-year-old adapting to Portuguese football seamlessly and being given plenty of valuable game time in a competitive European league, which will only benefit the defender's career going forwards.

The 20-year-old's desire to return to Stoke next season and fight for his place again in the first team, will be welcome news to the club's supporters, who will be hoping that Tymon returns from his loan spell full of belief and confidence to really make an impact with the Potters next term.

Stoke could well benefit in the long term from Tymon's loan spell, but given the 20-year-old's performances so far this season, and the Potters' struggles the club may have been better served keeping him, although it is doubtful whether he would have been given a first team opportunity had he remained at the club this summer.