Ki-Jana Hoever admits he's made mistakes in the past, but tells Sky Sports how maturity and hard work are helping him strive back towards his early potential. Watch Swansea City vs Stoke City live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Wednesday night; Kick-off 8pm.
Tuesday 9 April 2024 15:37, UK
Ki-Jana Hoever has a smile on his face when discussing his brilliant goal against Huddersfield earlier this month.
It may have been a belting strike with his wrong foot to level the game in a crucial relegation clash, but for the 22-year-old Stoke right-back, it wasn't even the best he has ever scored.
"I liked the one against Coventry last season more," Hoever, on loan from Wolves, tells Sky Sports.
"But this one was nice as well. It was the best I've scored with my left foot, for sure.
"My left foot isn't that amazing, so when I come inside there's not a lot more I can do other than just striking the ball."
A lot has been expected of Hoever for a while. He joined Liverpool from Ajax as a 16-year-old and Jurgen Klopp was a huge admirer - once describing him as 'sensational young player' and 'a wonderful kid'.
But it didn't work out there before he moved on to Wolves.
Hoever openly admits that he himself was at times responsible for not living up to his early billing, and that he would now, if he could, go back and do things differently.
"I was so young moving to England and things happened so quickly," he says. "You go from being 16 to being involved in first-team football, when you're still a child.
"And to be honest around that time I didn't really have anybody around me who taught me these things.
"When you're young you don't always realise what kind of world you're in. And I'm not talking about on-pitch stuff.
"I made a couple of mistakes and did some, I guess, childish things.
"But I feel like I needed that as a person, to go through it and learn from it. Everyone is different in that way."
An underwhelming loan from Wolves to PSV was followed by a move to Stoke for the second half of last season, before another move this campaign.
It is in the Potteries where he has really found his feet, both on the pitch and away from it.
"When I was at Liverpool and Wolves I was pretty young, and everything happened so quickly," he admits. "You don't really stand still.
"Since I was 17 I never really played a full season of football. At Liverpool I was with the first team so didn't play with the 23s a lot, and then at Wolves I just didn't play every week.
"I think one of the most important things for me, especially since I've been at Stoke, is just getting a little bit older, realising where I'm at and what I want to achieve in my career.
"I feel like being here at Stoke has helped me develop as a player and as a person, both on and off the pitch.
"I've always heard I have a lot of potential, but it's up to me to take it into my hands and make it happen."
Even as Stoke have laboured in the Championship, Hoever has thrived. Wolves have no doubt taken notice, and there will likely be interest from elsewhere this summer.
The Netherlands U21 international is open to any possibility.
"I'll go back to Wolves with an open mind and try and impress, but I really have no idea from there," he says.
"I would love to have a crack at the Premier League and I feel like I'm ready for it, but it obviously depends on a lot of things.
"I never thought I didn't have the quality for the Premier League, it was just about different stuff with me."
With his head screwed on and his eyes firmly on his goals, there is no reason why Hoever can't now go on to reach the levels so many tipped for him in his younger days.
"In football things can move really quickly," he says. "It's about the way you develop and believing in yourself.
"I feel like I definitely could go on and play at Champions League level in my career. I just need to make sure I work hard for it every day."
