Scott Hogan was left go once Aston Villa sealed their return to the Premier League but he’s scoring goals for fun in the Championship with Stoke City again.
Scott Hogan hasn’t had a single shot saved since March. Yes, Aston Villa fans, that Scott Hogan.
Villa fans could have been forgiven for writing off a man they bought from Brentford for £12 million in January 2017 (BBC). After all, Hogan found the net just seven times in 56 Championship games for the Midland giants while he didn’t exactly set the world alight during loan spell at Sheffield United in the second half of last season either.
So the Republic of Ireland international arrived at Stoke City this summer on a 12-month temporary deal with his confidence and his reputation at an all-time low. Speaking to Pundit Arena, Hogan even admitted that his ‘terrible’ two-and-a-half years at Aston Villa had left him a shadow of his former self.
But the rejuvenation is underway.
Hogan has not yet been reborn as the barnstorming, jet-heeled goal machine who scored for fun at Brentford to catch the eye of countless Premier League clubs, but he does appear to have rediscovered that golden touch at long last.
Hogan has scored three goals in three Championship starts for Stoke and it was his stoppage time winner at Swansea which sealed a much-needed first win of the season for Nathan Jones’ side before the international break.
He’s starting to look clinical and confident again and, while a future at Aston Villa might be out of Hogan’s reach, he is finally moving in the right direction.
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