Mark Robins decision involving Steven Schumacher cast-off is a Stoke City masterstroke | OneFootball

Lewis Baker has proven his worth after being recalled from Blackburn Rovers at the start of the year

Lewis Baker was a forgotten man at Stoke City throughout the first-half of the season, with the playmaker sent out to Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers under previous boss Steven Schumacher.

The current Bolton Wanderers boss never really took to the 29-year-old while he was in charge at the bet365 Stadium, and saw a move to Ewood Park as the best option for all involved in the previous summer transfer window.

Schumacher has since been shown the door and Mark Robins is the man in charge now, and one of the boss’ first acts was to bring the midfielder back in from Ewood Park at the beginning of the year.

That decision has worked wonders on recent evidence, with the former Chelsea man proving to be one of the most creative players in a side struggling in the bottom-half of the division.

Lewis Baker, Blackburn Rovers move made no sense

City fans must have thought that Baker was still in the fold when the 24/25 campaign got underway last August, as he netted the winner in the opening day 1-0 win over Coventry City to get his side’s season up-and-running with the best possible start.

But less than three weeks later, it was evident that he was not going to part of Schumacher’s long-term plans at the football club, with then-Rovers boss John Eustace only too happy to take the player off of a divisional rival’s hands.

Baker then played his part in helping the Lancashire side push towards the play-offs while his parent club floundered towards the bottom of the table, with Stoke watching on with regret as one of their own flourished at Ewood Park.

While he wasn’t always a regular in blue and white, he more than played his part in carving out opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis, and only finished on the losing side three times out of his 13 appearances for the club.

In the meantime, Schumacher had been given the axe and replaced by Narcis Pelach, with the Spaniard also seeing the door over the festive period, leaving Robins as the man to take the helm after recently being shown the door by Coventry City.

That managerial change would have a major impact on Baker, who would be on his way back to Staffordshire within days of Robins’ appointment, and has made his mark upon his return to the bet365.

Lewis Baker makes up for lost time with Stoke City displays

Baker was thrown right back into the mix when he rejoined the club, and has proven to be one of the players Robins relies on the most during his early days at the football club.

After being persona non grata a matter of months ago, the midfielder now seems to be one of the first names on the team sheet in recent weeks, with that trust from his new boss being repaid with some eye-catching moments on the pitch.

No contribution comes close to the one against Swansea City. You will have all seen it, the goal from halfway. The purity of the strike, the swazz on the ball to see it veer into the net over Lawrence Vigouroux’s head. Perfection.

That is the embodiment of a player playing at peak confidence. He will take anything on and believe he can achieve it.

A spot-kick against Cardiff City in the FA Cup as well as a brace against Norwich City is further testament to the decision of Robins to bring Baker back into the fold earlier this year, with much that Stoke are doing right in the final third coming through their classy operator in the middle of the pitch.

With five points between them and the drop zone, the Potters aren’t completely out the woods yet, but with Baker producing the goods on a regular basis right now, they stand a much better chance than they would have done had he still been playing his football at Ewood Park.