This story first appeared in The Sentinel on September 12, 2008

STOKE City coach Mark O’Connor believes Ricardo Fuller is about to prove wrong the doubters who said the Premier League would be a step too far for the Jamaican striker.

Fuller was a talismanic figure for City last season, scoring 15 goals to blast them to promotion.

However, for all his success in the Championship, Fuller remained largely untested in the top flight, having only played one full season there with Portsmouth in 2004-2005.

The fact Fuller scored just once in 13 league starts and 18 substitute appearances that season was presented by some as conclusive proof as to why a Stoke team of battlers was destined for a swift return to the Football League.

These are early days, but Stoke haven’t looked no-hopers in front of goal so far.The fact City’s new-look side have made a solid start is thanks in no small part to Fuller, who scored the second goal in the 3-2 home win against Aston Villa to add to the late consolation he netted at Bolton.

O’Connor said: “He is looking sharp and he looks hungry.

“It’s not that he didn’t last season, but there has been a challenge put in front of him and he looks like he is ready for it.

“Hopefully that will rub off on everyone else at the football club. That’s the way it seems to me.

“I look at players and they think, this is what we have to step up to.”

As Fuller missed almost the entire pre-season campaign recovering from a knee operation, he should only get better as the games go on.

However, the 28-year-old’s motivation needs no working on as he sets about showing once and for all that he belongs at this level. O’Connor believes the player has a point to prove.

He added: “I think everybody feels they do. They have been put in the spotlight and it is either do or die.

“You step up or you don’t. There’s no wavering about, you are in the biggest league in the world and you are under pressure every week.

“Some will rise to it and some won’t. At the moment he is rising to it every week.”

City need no reminding they need to tighten up defensively, having shipped seven goals in the opening three games. However, netting five times at least suggests City won’t find goals as hard to come by as some.

Stoke will want to set their sights higher than Derby County, but it is at least instructive that the Rams only managed 20 goals in their 38 Premier League matches.

While Fuller has most caught the eye, City have also been pleased with the efforts of his fellow strikers Mama Sidibe and Dave Kitson.Sidibe was rewarded with his late winner against Aston Villa.

Kitson has yet to get off the mark, but has appealed to the Premier League goals panel to claim City’s strike at Middlesbrough, which was marked down as an own goal by Justin Hoyte.

O’Connor added: “We have been pleased with Dave. We would probably like to get a few more crosses in the box as a team and get up the pitch more.

“But he can only do what he has been supplied with and we have been very happy with him.

“As for Mama, his goal will be good for confidence. He would say he didn’t score enough goals last season (4). However, his contribution to the team was fantastic.“He will be used this season, don’t worry about that.”

Fuller and Kitson provide a decent first-choice partnership at this level, so Stoke’s problems are more likely to come with the quantity rather than the quality of their strikers.

City were keen to get in a fourth striker before the transfer deadline, only to be denied at the death when Wigan pulled out of the £1m sale of Senegal international Henri Camara.

That appears to leave Stoke short of cover, although not if Richard Cresswell can rise to the challenge.The 30-year-old is, after all, a natural striker and one who has played at this level with Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester.

The Premier League has improved since Cresswell was last there eight years ago, but then so has the player.He only started 10 games in the top flight, so, just like Fuller, has a point to prove. Stoke also have the option of playing with a five-man midfield.

They briefly experimented with a 4-5-1 against Osasuna in pre-season, when Seyi Olofinjana was used in the hole behind a lone striker.

The deadline-day arrivals of attacking midfielders Tom Soares and Michael Tonge gives Tony Pulis further scope to play a 4-5-1 if Kitson or Fuller are injured. For now, the management are philosophical about the failure to land an extra striker before the transfer window closed.

O’Connor said: “You can’t worry about it. We have what we have and we will get on with it.

“We made an attempt to bring a player in, but we have good cover and people are champing at the bit to play.

“We have a good squad of players, who are hopefully all looking forward to the Everton game.”