Stoke youngsters Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton, Jimmy Phillips, Tom Thorley and Marc Grocott have all signed one-year professional deals with the club.

The quartet have featured heavily for the reserves this season and will be promoted to the first-team squad and could be handed the chance to play in the Barclays Premier League by boss Tony Pulis.

"It speaks wonders about our Academy because Tony Pulis knows the standard required for next season and he has decided he wants to take four lads into his first-team squad," said Academy coach Adrian Pennock.