Tony Mowbray Is So Impressed About Sunderland 18 year Old Youngster And Send Honest Words To Him

Tony Mowbray Is So Impressed About Sunderland 18 year Old Youngster And Send Honest Words To Him

TONY MOWBRAY is hoping Eliezer Mayenda will be the next youngster to make a major impression at Sunderland – after being hugely impressed by the youngster in training this week.

Mayenda joined Sunderland from French club Sochaux in the summer, but is yet to make his senior debut after suffering a hamstring injury during his first training session with his new employers.

 

While he was one of the first players recruited by the Black Cats in the close season, the 18-year-old striker finds himself returning to the fold as part of a four-strong attacking unit that also includes Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow and fellow new arrivals Luis Hemir and Nazariy Rusyn.

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He faces a major battle to force his way into the first-team ranks, but on the evidence of his training-ground work at the Academy of Light in the last few days, Mowbray thinks the teenager has every chance of making a major impact.

“Eliezer looks so exciting to me in training,” said the Sunderland head coach. “I was just watching the last bit of a small-sided game in training with one of the coaches, and he is super powerful and dynamic.

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“He’s got a rocket in his left foot, and I think he is going to catch a few people out when we put him on the pitch. I think the fans should be excited by how dynamic he is.

 

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“We’ll have to wait and see, and I shouldn’t really be building him up when he hasn’t had a chance to show it on the pitch yet, but I’m just telling you what I’m watching in training – strong, quick, powerful. Hopefully, he can do the damage when he’s fit and available.”

 

Mayenda will not be considered for tomorrow’s home game with Watford or Saturday’s Wear-Tees derby with Sunderland, but he should be ready for a step-up in his activity levels after the international break.

 

That could initially mean an outing with the Under-21s, but Mowbray is hoping it will not be too long before he is challenging for a first-team spot.

 

“I think it will be then (after the international break),” he continued. “Whether that’s in an Under-21s game or with us because he’s managed to play with the Under-21s game over the break, I don’t quite know yet.

 

“What I do know is that he’s nearly there, because he’s training with us and joining in with the full session, which tells me that the medical department and sport science department have got that confidence. The next step in my mind is half a game for the Under-21s, and I think that will be pretty soon.”