Opinion from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City release striker Tyrese Campbell, who bowed out with a standing ovation after scoring in a 4-0 final day thrashing of Bristol City

Stoke City and Tyrese Campbell are both searching for the same thing. Stoke desperately need a striker who can lead the line and be a regular goal threat and that’s the player that Tyrese Campbell hopes to be.

He has shown, in flashes, that he can do that in the Championship. The last four games of this season are a case in point with a cocktail of aggression, strength, acceleration and ruthlessness. His goals against Southampton and Bristol City were superb and different finishes; one a calm slot with his right foot, one powered in with his left. It earned a standing ovation in what turned out to be his final appearance and best wishes in whatever happens next.

The question that Stoke have had to ask themselves is how much they can bank on Campbell hitting that kind of level over a full season. A club owned by bookies might consider the odds of him scoring 15 to 25 goals and spearheading a charge towards the top six in the next one or two years.

If a player is going to be what Ricky Martin would call a key asset – and rewarded as such within a wage structure which has to be tightly managed, especially in these days of Financial Fair Play – then you would want to hang your hat on them for 46 games. You might accept 40 or even 35 but they have to be a consistent and reliable presence from August until May.