Tony Mowbray expects Isaac Lihadji to make a bigger impact next season - and has promised Sunderland fans they will like what they see. France U21 international forward Lihadji joined the Black Cats from Ligue 1 side Lille in January but was used very sparingly in the second half of the season, as he was eased gradually into the Championship.
The 21-year-old has yet to start a game in England and made just half-a-dozen outings as a substitute totalling only 79 minutes. But Mowbray points out that competition was fierce in his position, with Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts, and on-loan Manchester United star Amad already established.
However Amad has gone back to Old Trafford and is unlikely to return to Wearside next season, meaning there will be more opportunities for Lihadji to show what he can do. "As a staff, we all really like Isaac," said Mowbray.
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"He's a very, very talented player with lovely, fast feet. He's lithe and can get past people, he can flip it over their foot and glide inside and they can't get back to him.
"He can manipulate the ball very well, and he's a high-quality footballer - it's just sometimes to get him on and get him up to the intensity of the game is really difficult, so we've only seen him in little spurts. I think when he starts football matches and plays for an hour or so, fans will see a really good footballer who can make things happen for the team.
"He's just been a bit short [of gametime] because it's difficult with players like Clarke and Amad and Roberts [to leave them out] because they're contributing and giving you that feeling that they are going to score, to create something. He plays in a position where we've been really strong and so he just has to be patient.
"Early on in the season, there's no issue with rotating a little in a three-game week, so a Clarke or a Roberts can sit on the bench and he can get a go. Or in other games he can come on after an hour and hopefully make something happen for us.
"Hopefully he can be a success at this club and I think fans are going to be excited by his talent once he gets going."
The youngster has also needed time to get up to speed with a new country and a new language, with Mowbray previously saying that of the club's four French signings last season - the others being Pierre Ekwah, Abbdoullah Ba, Pierre Ekwah, and on-loan Paris St-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut - Lihadji was the one who arrived speaking the least English.
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