Tom Cannon returns to spotlight in Stoke’s biggest win since famous Liverpool thrashing

Tom Cannon burst back onto the scene with four goals for Stoke City on Wednesday night. The striker, who was part of a clutch of youngsters admired by Frank Lampard and who made his senior Everton debut under him, was sold on transfer deadline day of the summer window last year during efforts to boost the club’s financial and regulatory outlook.

His sale to Leicester City was one of several deals that highlighted the state of Everton’s plight, the youngster having become a dominant force in academy football before enjoying a prolific spell in the Championship while on loan at Preston North End.

The Foxes lost their survival battle because of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunning final-day winner for Everton over Bournemouth.

Leicester completed the move for Cannon despite his medical revealing a stress fracture in his back that ruled him out for three months.

While he went on to score twice against Huddersfield Town in his first start, he has yet to establish himself at the King Power Stadium and was allowed to seek first-team football at Stoke by Leicester boss Steve Cooper after appearing as an unused substitute in the club’s Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur.

Cannon’s contribution in the 6-1 win over Portsmouth, which included a free-kick and a penalty, marked his first goals in a spell he hopes will signal his return to prominence.

That ambition will be helped after his performance provided a first win for Stoke’s new boss Narcis Pelach in a result that saw the club score six in a league game for the first time since hammering 6-1 Liverpool nine years ago.

Pelach revealed after the match that a pre-game pep talk with the former Everton forward had done the trick. “We had a very nice chat this week because I replaced him the other day at half-time (Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough),” said Pelach.

“I said, ‘Look I cannot be waiting for performances in the middle of a game, I have to do what is right for the team but I want to let you know that I am going to back you. Three, four, five bad performances will not change my opinion about you’.

“I know him, I know he is a good player but he needs game time, he needs to get ready from a physical point of view. I said, ‘Life is about confidence and I have confidence in you, you need to feel free, you will start again’. Even the performance against Middlesbrough I wasn’t happy with, I’m not that kind of coach. I want to do something that is based on trust. It was very nice to listen to his answer as well. He’s a nice guy.

“We had a good chat together and today I’m very happy with his performance. I think he deserves this. On the pitch you do what you can, not what you want. There is an opponent in front of you and he’s a young player so we have to be supportive. Today he got his reward. I’m very happy.”