Stoke City U21 coach Glyn Hodges says Olly Shenton deserves his first team chance.
The 17-year-old midfielder has been included in Mark Hughes' senior party for Premier League outings against West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur this month.
Hodges told The Sentinel: "Olly's made his debut this season and we're looking to get him closer to the first team in the Premier League and maybe one or two others, who knows.
"He's in the first team squad each weekend, and he's there on merit, vying for a place on the bench.
"He unlucky he missed out on being involved at Spurs, but he's gone down there, he's in the squad, and the longer he trains with the first team the better he'll become.
"Olly is able to express himself and they all accept him as well, which is good. He's having a good patch at the moment."
