Shaqiri at Stoke City: Can he build off this Euros performance?

Xherdan Shaqiri’s Euro 2016 is over following an unlucky shootout loss to Poland, but it will be remembered for years after he equalized with a sublime bicycle kick. Can the talented midfielder carry his form into Stoke’s Premier League campaign?

Switzerland won’t feel good on the ride home from France after the team became the first to bow out of the Euro 2016 Knockout Stage. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Xherdan Shaqiri will be down about his showing at the competition.

The diminutive playmaker was by far the brightest spark on the attacking end for the Swiss side, scoring what could be the goal of the tournament and also assisting in the team’s 1-0 group stage win over Albania.

Shaqiri’s ability is unquestioned. His consistency, on the other hand, is very much in doubt. Can a player who has shown flashes for five years use his latest world-class highlight to carry the Potters to a legitimate Europa League challenge next season?

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Yes, he can. But he needs club stability.

This is not uncharted territory for Shaqiri. In what can be considered the best forgotten goal of the 2014 World Cup, Shaqiri led off his group stage hat trick against Honduras with a left-footed missile from 25 yards out. A player who clearly thrives on confidence, Shaqiri was never able to fully capitalize off that game, as his club season that followed was marked by sporadic appearances for Inter and Bayern.

Fortunately for the 24-year-old, he’s no longer in that situation. Last August, Shaqiri signed a club-record contract to go to Stoke on a five-year deal. In year one of life at the Britannia, Shaqiri again showed flashes, but was outdone by breakout star Marko Arnautovic and the shifty Bojan Krkic.

But while his three league goals paled in companion to the 12 and seven of Arnautovic and Bojan, respectively, Shaqiri’s key number was 32. That’s the number of appearances he made.

The first Premier League season for any foreign player is as much about durability as anything else, and the Swiss talisman showed he is capable of handling the tough terrain of the English pitch. Sure, it helps that he doesn’t have to play AGAINST Ryan Shawcross.