Stoke City face Wrexham in the Championship this weekend with Divin Mubama back on the goal trail
Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
11:30, 17 Oct 2025
Divin Mubama with his player of the match award after scoring twice for England under-21s against Moldova.
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Divin Mubama with his player of the match award after scoring twice for England under-21s against Moldova.(Image: Vasile Mihai-Antonio - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Mark Robins has welcomed the first England Under-21 goals of Divin Mubama's career but he has urged the striker to 'remain focused' on his all-round game.
The Man City loanee became the first Stoke City player to score for the Three Lions U21s since Mark Chamberlain in April 1984, when he bagged a brace in the 4-0 win over Moldova.
Mubama started that game - and came off the bench in the next fixture at Pride Park - and returns to the bet365 Stadium buoyed by breaking what has been nearly a two-month barren spell.
However, Robins insists the 20-year-old's value to Stoke extends beyond his goal tally.
"I went to watch him against Andorra the other day at Derby, where he came on as a late substitute, but Ash Phillips played the full game," the manager said.
"The game before, with his goal and a penalty, was significant for him because this is his first goals in Under-21's football.
"Coming back and obviously with the confidence that should derive, then you know that bodes well.
"But again for everybody - just remain focused, grounded and willing to really work hard and work the opposition. I think that's what he's done since he came in.
"I want to see that first and foremost because he can score goals, so it's the other parts of the game you've got to remain focused on.
"What he's doing is he's making runs and unselfish runs and not getting the ball, and I want him to continue to do that, but I'd love him to get more of the ball in areas that he can really hurt the opponents.
"You have spells during a season where sometimes you'll make the runs, you feel like you're doing everything else, but you're getting scant reward for it.
"What you can't do is then stop doing that work - there's no sign of him doing that at the moment. I just want him to maintain the levels of both work and quality."
Mubama made a big impact at the start of the season when he scored in the wins over Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday.
Even beyond that, though, he has remained an important player having started eight of the nine Championship matches and he is highly like to be included from the start against Wrexham on Saturday.
The Red Dragons sit 18th in the table but arrive having lost just once away from home. They will also turn up with a team filled with players Robins knows well.
"I think that Wrexham have had an incredible rise, managed with skill by Phil Parkinson and Steve Parkin, who've been together a long, long time now.
"They have had not insignificant investment, it's been big investment into their playing squad through the divisions and this year obviously went to a different level.
"They've got some really good players in there, some of which I've had at previous clubs.
"Dominic Hyam, for instance, who was brilliant, I signed him as a 21-year-old, had him a long, long time before he went to Blackburn Rovers.
"Callum Doyle, on loan from Manchester City, another one who's a really, really good player and Ben Sheaf who was captain at Coventry for a period of time as well.
"I know those three really well amongst the others who are clearly big names in Championship football and have played at a higher level and certainly in international football as well.
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"It's a different team, they've got a new team that they put together in the summer, and it looks like that they've made real significant strides again this season.
"They'll want to continue that, we want to puncture that a little bit and we're after the three points as much as they are."
What have you made of Mubama's season so far? Have your say here
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