With an average age of 26.8, Stoke City have certainly worked hard to change their approach to how they construct a squad in recent years. 

Gone are the days at the Bet365 Stadium when expensive signings were brought in towards the back end of their career, with younger players that possess more potential to improve over time being the primary focus for Michael O'Neill and his staff.

Indeed you only have to look through the first team to recognise how many top class youngsters the Potters really have, with the likes of 21-year-old goalkeeper Joe Bursik, 23-year-old centre back Harry Souttar and 22-year-old forward Tyrese Campbell immediately springing to attention.

It is these individuals along with a few others that Stoke are hoping to build the spine of the team around, as they look to steer clear from making sometimes rash and panicked transfers.

And there are no signs of the Stoke-on-Trent outfit stopping with their approach after it was revealed today by  TEAMtalk that they have agreed a new contract with the promising D'Margio Wright-Phillips.

The Potters only landed the rising star from Manchester City last year but he has already made enough of a lasting impression for Premier League sides to start taking an interest in his services.

However Stoke have now swooped in to tie down the 20-year-old, who has been fast tracked into the first team by O'Neill this season.

The son of Shaun Wright-Phillips and grandson of Ian Wright, D'Margio is certainly cut from a great level of footballing cloth and it is perhaps testament to the Potters that he sees his future with them instead of making a move to a glitzy top flight academy.

Stoke have given him the chance to impress at the top level along with several other players within his age bracket and that is something which showcases that the club are beginning to think more sustainably when it comes to player recruitment and their overall finances.

It may be something that takes some getting used to but Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will Stoke City Football Club as they aim to get back to the top table of English football.