Ex-Nigeria U20 Invitee Threading The Right Path At Stoke City, Stars In Cup Victory

Young Nigerian defender Ashinme Kigbu is poised for big things at Stoke City following his recent string of fine performances.

The former Manchester City starlet was on from start to finish for the club's U23 team as they beat Wolverhampton Casuals 2-1 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup at Brinsford Lane yesterday evening.

The Staffordshire Senior Cup is a prestigious tourney contested by both professional and amateur clubs based in the county of Staffordshire, England and Premier League sides West Brom and Aston Villa are some of the past winners.

Only last season, the 20-year-old Kigbu was playing in the Austrian league where he had found game time hard to come by with Wolfsberger but has grown in leaps and bounds this season under the watching eyes of manager Kevin Russell.

This term, Kigbu has made seven Premier League 2 appearances from a possible eleven for City who sit third on the Division Two standings behind only West Ham and Manchester United.

Born in Jos to Nigerian parents, the one-time Nigeria U-20 invitee has earned two caps for England U-18s against Italy and Sweden in 2016.