Player Analysis: Jacob Brown

The season just gone has unearthed an unprecedented amount of young attacking talent at the Championship level. Creating a top 10 of second-tier forwards capable of making the step up to the Premier League was easier than ever, but with the spotlight being shared by so many, there are some exciting players who haven't earned the credit they deserve.

Stoke City's Jacob Brown falls firmly into that bracket, partly down to the speed with which the likes of Ben Brereton Diaz and Elijah Adebayo among others have emerged and also the disjointed attacking setup he found himself in, but few have improved as significantly as Brown in the past year given their circumstances.

Over the course of the season, the 24-year-old had eight different strike partners when playing in a front two. The player he featured alongside most was Steven Fletcher, but that was in just 11 of his 38 starts. The most games they both started in consecutively was five between October and November.

Similar disruption was suffered by the Potters across the pitch due to injuries and fluctuating form, but Brown was a constant threat to call upon amidst chaos, and he has performed in any attacking role required of him. This could be playing as a wide forward, as the foil for a target man or as a lone striker.