Regis Le Bris makes big claim about Pierre Ekwah future after Sunderland loan exit

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has claimed that Pierre Ekwah has “everything it takes” to play for a big club in one of Europe’s major top flights - but has emphasised the need for the midfielder to work on his consistency.

The 22-year-old was allowed to leave the Black Cats in the closing stages of the transfer window, joining French outfit AS Saint-Etienne on an initial loan deal with an option-to-buy clause included. His departure came off the back of a slow start to the season during which he played just 90 minutes in the EFL Cup, and was overlooked entirely in the Championship. And now, in an in-depth interview with Poteaux Carres, Le Bris has explained why Ekwah struggled for game time during the early stages of his tenure, while also expressing his belief that his compatriot can play his way to the very top.

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He said: “I’d have liked to have played him more to see how he’d measure up against the others, to see if he’d say to himself: ‘Finally, I might still have something to go for at Sunderland’. But Pierre took a blow in a warm-up match we played in Spain a month and a half ago. He landed badly on an opponent, suffered back pains and was out of action for almost a fortnight. During those days, it’s a big period of preparation matches for us.

“Pierre was out, he came back at the end of the preparatory phase, but in the meantime the team had really taken off. I think that only reinforced for him the idea that the next step wasn’t here. And for us, as the team was doing well, it made sense for Pierre to look for a new project. That’s how it happened, it’s a bit by chance and at the same time a bit of destiny. But coming from the outside, I would have liked to try it out. But I couldn’t do it.

“I think Pierre has everything it takes to be a top five player in the five major European championships. Now you have to do it over and over again, and be consistent at the top level. That’s always the challenge with this type of young player. They’re extremely talented. Pierre has a CV, he’s already played for some of the big clubs, and everyone knows he’s got that talent. Now the question is: ‘Do you have the ability to repeat it weekend after weekend and over the course of a match? Because that’s what the competition is waiting for, after all!”