Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross took a major step on his road to recovery from back surgery on Wednesday night.

The centre-back played 45 minutes in Stoke's under-21 side's 1-1 draw against Port Vale reserves in the Final Third Development League Cup and he is now targeting a return to Stoke's senior side.

Injury struggles

Shawcross has not featured for the Potters in a competitive fixture since their 6-1 victory over Liverpool on the final day of last season.

The 28-year-old underwent back surgery in August after suffering with a reoccurrence of a back problem that troubled him last season.

He missed six weeks of last season with back trouble and he played just over an hour of football during pre-season before the decision was made for him to undergo back surgery.

Shawcross told The Sentinel that having surgery was the "right decision" and a "relief". The defender added that his "day to day life has been a lot better" now he can "move freely".

Road to recovery

The defender said that it was "a case of building" on the 45 minutes he played but added that he is suffering with a "few niggles".

Shawcross added that he was "looking forward" to returning to training with the first team and a return to the Premier League but added that he will continue to train with Stoke's under 21-side.

He said that it is up to Stoke manager Mark Hughes to decide when he returns to the senior side but said that he was hoping to play 70 minutes then a full game in the coming weeks as he continues his road to recovery.

Shawcross' experience a benefit to under-21s

Not only did the match benefit Shawcross but a chance to play with the club captain will be hugely beneficial to the club's young players, according to under-21s boss Glyn Hodges.

Hodges told the club's website that it is "invaluable" for the players to be playing and training with the captain of an "established" Premier League club. Hodges added that Shawcross has given the younger players "words of advice" and said that it is a "great opportunity" for the under-21 players to impress.

Have Stoke coped without their captain?

Shawcross has become one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League since Stoke were promoted to the top-flight in 2008 and he has been the club captain since 2010.

Stoke got off to a slow start without Shawcross with them opening the season with six games without a win, conceding nine goals in the process. However, Shawcross would have been pleased to see the Potters record back-to-back league wins before the international break.

The defender would have been especially pleased with Stoke's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, which saw the Potters record their first clean sheet in the league this season.

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About the author
Adam Bailey
Everton editor, who also covers cycling and athletics.