KENWYNE JONES helped to create a piece of history in his second season with Stoke City . . . even though it was a pretty frustrating time for him during the 2011-12 campaign.
The Trinidad and Tobago international headed home the late equaliser which secured the Potters’ passage through to the Knockout Stage of the Europa League, the first instance of the Club making such progress in one of the major European competitions in their long history.
It was in the Europa League and indeed other cup competitions that Jones was given many of his first team opportunities following the Club record signing of Peter Crouch.
Having been the record transfer himself twelve months earlier when he completed an £8 million move from Sunderland, he found himself in a supporting role for much of the season as manager Tony Pulis opted for a Crouch-Jon Walters combination on many occasions.
Jones had been the joint leading scorer with twelve goals in his first full campaign with the Potters and he weighed in with some valuable goals throughout the 2011-12 campaign, including the one which gained the all-important draw in the meeting with Dynamo Kiev.
When he joined the Potters prior to the 2010-11 campaign, it signalled a return to the Britannia Stadium where he spent a spell on loan five years earlier.
Having begun his career with Joe Public in his native Trinidad, Jones was handed his first opportunity in English football by Southampton when he joined them in 2004.
As well a loan move to the Britannia Stadium, he also spent a short spell with Sheffield Wednesday, but after making an impact at St Mary’s, he completed a £6 million transfer to Sunderland that included fellow Trinidadian Stern John moving in the opposite direction.
Jones became a big favourite at the Stadium of Light and his goalscoring success led to him being linked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool before he eventually headed south by completing the high-profile switch to the Potters.