Hibernian Signs Nathan Lowe on Loan from Stoke City
Hibernian have landed Nathan Lowe on a season-long loan from Stoke City – and David Gray believes he has finally found the penalty-box predator he has been chasing.
The 20-year-old, capped by England at Under-19 level, arrives in Edinburgh with a growing reputation as a ruthless finisher and a handful for defenders. Gray has been open all summer about wanting more muscle and menace at the top end of the pitch. Lowe ticks both boxes.
“He brings a great energy and enthusiasm about his play, as well as a physical presence,” the Hibs head coach told his club’s website, describing the striker as a “natural goalscorer” who can score “a range of different types of goals”.
For a side that too often lacked a cutting edge last season, it is exactly the profile Hibs supporters wanted to hear.
This move comes at a significant moment in Lowe’s career. He emerged from Stoke’s academy and made his senior debut in February 2023, before the Championship club underlined their belief in him with a four-and-a-half-year contract last January. That faith has now been extended again: Lowe has agreed fresh terms running to 2029, signed in tandem with his loan to the Scottish Premiership.
Stoke have not thrown him into the deep end without protection. Lowe has already had three loan spells in England, each one sharpening different parts of his game. The breakthrough came at Walsall in League Two, where he produced the kind of numbers that make recruitment departments sit up.
In 30 appearances for the Saddlers, he scored 18 goals and laid on seven assists, a devastating return that earned him the English League Two Young Player of the Year Award. Those figures did not come padded with late cameos either; he became the focal point of Walsall’s attack and learned how to carry the burden of expectation.
Last season, he stepped up a level. The first half of the campaign was spent with Stockport County, the second with their League One rivals Wycombe Wanderers, and he still found a way to hit double figures, finishing with 11 goals across the year. Different managers, different systems, different pressures – the end result stayed the same. He scored.
For Stoke, his senior involvement has been more limited but instructive. Lowe has made eight starts and 21 substitute appearances for the Potters, scoring twice. Those outings in the Championship offered a taste of the physical and tactical demands he will now face in Scotland on a weekly basis.
Gray, though, is not just getting a poacher. He is getting a young forward who has already been hardened by the grind of the lower leagues and who has shown he can adapt quickly to new surroundings. “He has good experience too, having already played a substantial amount of games at a competitive level despite his young age,” the Hibs boss pointed out.
At Stoke, there is a clear belief that this is the next logical step. Sporting director Jonathan Walters praised Lowe’s attitude and ambition, pointing to his willingness to leave his comfort zone again.
“Nathan has no doubt benefitted from the experiences he’s had in Leagues One and Two and it speaks to his mature character that he wants to test himself in a new environment in Scotland,” Walters said.
The attraction is obvious: regular top-flight football, high-pressure games, and something new on the horizon.
European nights.
“That he will also gain exposure to playing in European competition is something new and will only help his development,” Walters added, underlining why Stoke were prepared to sanction the move while tying him down long term. They will monitor every step. “We will keep a close eye on his progression.”
For Hibs, the appeal is more immediate. A powerful, hungry 20-year-old with a proven nose for goal, stepping into a league that often rewards physical forwards who are brave enough to occupy centre-backs and relentless enough to keep running channels in the 90th minute.
Lowe arrives with a long contract back in England and a point to prove in Scotland. If he brings Walsall’s numbers and Wycombe’s resilience to Leith, this won’t just be a loan spell. It could be the season that defines where his career – and Hibernian’s attack – goes next.
