Stoke strike prodigy nets incredible seven-minute hat-trick for U23 academy side

Any hat-trick is a memorable occasion for a footballer.

And even more so when it is done so in super-quick time.

Stoke City's Douglas Taylor achieved the memorable feat in a remarkable seven-minute spell on Monday night.

The youngster was turning out for City's under-23s in a Premier League Cup tie at home to Southend United.

On a bitterly cold night in Staffordshire, both sides struggled to make an impact in a pretty uneventful first half. But Taylor was the one who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck just after the hour mark.

He found the net in the 62nd, 65th, and 69th minute to overwhelm Southend's players.

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His first came via a simple tap-in when he picked up the pieces from Max McCarthy's initial effort.

Three minutes later he scored an even easier second when he tapped into an empty net from just a few yards out.

And he completed his treble not long after when he swept a fine effort beyond the Southend stopper.

The blistering hat-trick knocked the visitors for six and sealed Stoke's first win of this year's cup group stage.

In terms of fastest hat-tricks in English football, Taylor still has some way to go to beat the likes of James Hayter and Sadio Mane's incredible trebles.

In 2004 Hayter notched three times in the space of just two minutes and 21 seconds for Bournemouth against Wrexham.

Meanwhile in 2015, Mane, then at Southampton, took just two minutes and 56 seconds to notch three times against Aston Villa in another scarcely-believable feat.

Taylor, 20, arrived at Stoke just over a year ago from Salford City. He enjoyed a prolific spell for the Ammies in their under-18s which led to the Potters being coaxed into purchasing him.

At the time of the signing last October, Stoke's academy director Gareth Owen said that Taylor's range of skills meant it was too good a chance for the club to turn down.

He said: "Douglas is strong with good pace, he can finish and hold up the ball well.

"We've got good hopes for him and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to Category One football."

He will now be hoping to continue to impress in the under-23s and potentially earn a shot at a first-team spot in the near future.

Michael O'Neill's side are faring well in the Championship this season. They are currently fourth in the table and have won their last three outings without conceding.

They return to action on Wednesday night with a trip to Bristol City.