Dover Athletic's teenage sensation George Wilkinson is currently enjoying the second week of a trial with Stoke City after some impressive performances in the National League this season.

The precocious midfielder has made ten appearances in the fifth tier for the Whites this season and will be hoping to gain some admirers at Stoke in the next week.

Dover Athletic manager Andy Hessenthaler confirmed the trial when he spoke to KentOnline this morning.

The Potters have been actively looking to reduce the average age of their squad in recent windows, as is a sensible tactic in the post-parachute payments climate in the Championship and bringing Wilkinson in would certainly fit in line with that.

At 17, there is so much development left with Wilkinson, and a main part of the trial could be judging him in comparison with the club's current U18 and U23 crop of players.

The chances are that if Wilkinson does sign for Stoke, he will be loaned out back in the National League or slightly higher next season, to continue his adaptation period to senior football.

Stoke City are at a crossroads, they cannot compete in the same markets they have in previous years and will be hoping to utilise player trading as a way to gradually pursue promotion back to the Premier League.

The Verdict

The National League has increased in standard substantially in the last few years and experience in the league is far more transferrable to EFL football than it ever has been.

Dover Athletic will be relegated to the National League South this term, having encountered various difficulties off the pitch, so Hessenthaler deserves great credit for integrating some younger players into the first team in trying circumstances.

It will be interesting to monitor Wilkinson's progress even if his trial is unsuccessful, with the potential that other clubs have been watching him, and to see what Michael O'Neill's attitude is towards him if he is signed.