Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross took a giant step towards a potential first-team return after turning out for the Potters' Under-23s against Aston Villa in their Premier League 2 game on Monday.

Shawcross last appeared for Stoke in their defeat at Wigan almost five months ago having sustained a number of calf problems in recent months, which has seen him miss the entire season.

However, the 33-year-old played 90 minutes on his return from injury for Stoke's youngsters in their 2-0 defeat to Villa.

Having spent more than a decade in the Potteries, Shawcross has always been a popular figure with the Bet365 faithful, and despite having played just a handful of senior matches in the previous 18 months, Stoke fans were relatively happy to see their skipper fit and play once again.

 

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Here, we've been looking at how Potters supporters reacted to Shawcross' shock inclusion with the Under-23s side on Monday evening.

Check some of the best responses below: