With Stoke City's first team sealing promotion to the Premier League in May, it also meant a promotion for the club's second string.

The Reserves will now automatically move into the Barclays Premier Reserve League for next season, and have been entered into the Southern Section of the competition.

They are set to take on the hottest prospects from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa next season.

Villa were the Southern champions last year, before going down to Northern winners Liverpool in the play-off final.

The Southern Section comprises of the following nine teams:

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Fulham
Portsmouth
Stoke City
Tottenham Hotspur
West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United

The eleven teams included within the Northern Section are:

Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Everton
Hull City
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Middlesbrough
Newcastle United
Sunderland
Wigan Athletic

The traditional format of the competition, 10 teams playing in each of the divisions, has changed somewhat this season having seen Southern participants Derby County, Birmingham City and Reading replaced by the Potters, West Brom and the more northerly Hull City.

Therefore, teams within the Southern Section will have 16 games, whilst clubs in the Northern Section will play 20 matches apiece.

The news means that City's first team, reserves and academy will all play Premier League football next season.