The 22-year-old Milan Smit completed his loan move from Go Ahead Eagles to Stoke City on Sunday, three days after the Dutchman chose not to play in the Eagles' UEFA Europa League contest against OGC Nice.
"I made that decision myself," Smit told ESPN on Monday.
"The deal was almost finalised, and I felt it was too big a risk to take. This transfer is obviously a life-changing deal for me."
Steep development
Smit joined Go Ahead Eagles from Cambuur in the summer of 2024 and won the Dutch Cup with the Deventer outfit in 2025. In his first season with the Eagles, Smit scored three goals in 25 appearances across all competitions.
This season, Smit vastly improved his numbers with 10 goals in 28 appearances, three of which came in his six UEFA Europa League outings.
Just 18 months into his time in Deventer, Smit had set himself the goal of looking for a move in the summer. When the Potters came knocking, however, he needed little time to figure out what he wanted.
"When a club like Stoke comes along and wants you so badly, you don't have to think twice about it."
Smit signed a loan contract until the summer, when the Potters have a mandatory option to buy Smit for €5.5 million. Cambuur have the one-sided option to end the loan and cancel the deal.
