Kimpioka ‘won’t stay in Sweden’
CONTRACT REBEL ‘WANTS TO PLAY OUTSIDE HOMELAND’
SUNDERLAND contract rebel Benji Kimpioka has no intention of staying in Sweden, according to the sporting director of his former club IK Sirius.
Kimpioka is a free agent after his contract on Wearside expired at the end of June, and he has so far refused to sign the new deal put forward by the Black Cats.
The 20-year-old trained with Swedish top flight side IK Sirius during the Covid-19 lockdown, and he is again training with the club he played for before joining Sunderland in 2016.
But there appears to be no prospect of him rejoining Sirius, with sporting director Ola Andersson saying the young striker is only there to train.
“We have only promised to stand up and train him,” Andersson told Swedish
outlet UNT. “I have not entered into any discussions but he has declared that he wants to go outside Sweden again.”
Kimpioka’s contract wrangle at Sunongoing derland has been for more than a year, yet earlier this summer he said that he wants to stay. He said: “Right now I’m waiting a bit, talking to my agent and family to see how we should do in the window that is coma ing. Sunderland is club that I love and I like everyone there, all the coaches, players and staff in the club. We’ll see. I want to stay there, but everything is in God’s hands.”
Despite Kimpioka saying that he wants to stay, over time there has been a growing acceptance within the club that he will not sign a new contract – although the fact that he has been offered a new deal protects Sunderland’s right to compensation if he does move on.
Kimpioka has made 14 appearances for Sunderland in all competitions, scoring four goals, but has yet to make a league start.
AIDEN O’brien says he ‘lives for scoring goals’ and cannot wait to show Sunderland fans what he is made of.
The Republic of Ireland striker became the Black Cats’ first summer signing yesterday when he signed a two-year deal, having left Championship side Millwall this summer.
Sunderland’s players were back in pre-season training this week, building up to the League One kickoff on September 12, and O’brien is counting down the days to his debut.
“I can’t express how excited I am. I can’t wait to get out there and show the fans what I am made of,” the 26-year-old told safc.com.
“I want to hit the ground running, put on a show in the first game, and help us get that first win and get off to a good start to the season.
“I love scoring goals. That’s what I do, that’s what I live for, and hopefully I can keep on scoring goals and bring that to the team.”
Londoner O’brien travelled to the North-east to meet Phil Parkinson at the Academy of Light, and he decided immediately that he wanted to join.
He said: “It feels absolutely terrific to be here.
“It’s a massive club and I literally cannot wait to get going.
“My agent called me and said Phil Parkinson was interested and wanted to give me a call, but rather than calling me I ended up going to the training ground, meeting him directly, and he showed me around the place.
“As soon as I got there I just knew it was the place for me and I am so happy to be here.”
The move reunites O’brien with his former Millwall teammate Conor Mclaughlin, and the Northern Ireland man has already told O’brien what to expect on Wearside.
“The decision was already mentally made for me, but Conor was at Millwall with me, he is a good friend of mine and I have spoken to him a few times and he has given me the ins and outs about what a great bunch of lads there is here and everything,” he said.
“It was a no-brainer really.” O’brien won promotion
with
Millwall from League One via the play-offs in 2017, and says Sunderland also have the team spirit needed for promotion.
He said: “I know you need to have a great bunch of lads – it’s not all about just talent, it’s about good camaraderie and a good dressing room. It looks like we have that in abundance here and if you have that, the talent will take care of itself and we can push on and get promoted this season.”
O’brien played for Ireland at U17, U19, and U21, levels before scoring on his senior debut in September 2018.
He has since added three more senior caps, the most recent coming in March 2019, but he hopes that his move to Sunderland will help him force his way back into the international reckoning.
“”That’s what I am aiming to do – score goals here, hopefully help the club win promotion, and hopefully get back into the Ireland set-up and start scoring goals for them,” he said. “That’s my dream.”
As soon as I got there I just knew it was the place for me and I am so happy to be here
Aiden O’brien