MusaSunderland manager Régis Le Bris left Timothée Pembélé out of his plans last season.
The Premier League side allowed the player to move on loan to Le Havre. Pembélé operates across the back line and made 21 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season.
He returned to the Stadium of Light and was expecting Le Bris to include him in his plans. Instead, the Sunderland manager again overlooked the 21-year-old.
To put it in context, the defender didn’t make a single appearance for the Black Cats this season.
On January 5th, Le Havre manager Didier Digard said he was hopeful of bringing Pembélé back to the club. Two days later, the French club announced the expected return on a fresh loan deal.
Paris Normandie have published a detailed interview with the Sunderland owned player about his time under Le Bris, decision to return to Le Havre, and other topics.
The Premier League club signed the defender from Paris Saint-Germain in September 2023. He missed first four months of the 2023/24 season due to a knee injury and played 602 minutes from 12 matches that season.
The newspaper first wanted to know how the Frenchman experienced the last six months at Sunderland. Responding to that, Pembélé explained his frustrations.
“It was difficult. I wasn’t playing, and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t even training with the first team. Sometimes it was separate training, sometimes with the youth team,” he said.
“But when you’re going through a tough time in your career, you try to put things in perspective, you think about life, you remind yourself that you’re healthy, and that your family is too.”
“It’s true that in my first year, I didn’t play much. Then there was that first loan to Le Havre which allowed me to get back on track, to forget about past injuries, but the last six months still disrupted my momentum. That’s why I’m very happy to be back here. And now, I don’t have to worry about settling in. I know the club.”
Paris Normandie asked whether Le Bris being French means he should have dealt with him differently at Sunderland.
Sunderland player probably doesn’t want to return
Responding to that, Pembélé explained: “I didn’t speak with him. That’s just how it is. In football, sometimes the manager doesn’t want you. It’s not the end of the world.
“I’m not thinking about that [find quick solution to sever quick ties with Sunderland]. Right now, there’s a great challenge ahead with Le Havre AC.”
His contract with the Black Cats lasts until 2028. However, the Sunderland owned player isn’t closing the door on joining Le Havre on a permanent transfer.
When asked if it’s already been discussed, he added: “Maybe with my agent, but I don’t have any information. It would be great, though. I feel good here, my family comes often, I know the club, the city, but again, I don’t have complete control over my future.”
Musa
