Galloway’s stay may be worthwhile
CHRIS Coleman was ready to cut short Brendan Galloway’s loan stay last month to avoid ‘wasting his time’ on Wearside – but insists he has no problem with the on-loan Everton defender remaining with the Black Cats.
Left-back Galloway started Sunderland’s first five league games of the season but has struggled at Championship level and has made only two outings as a substitute since that run of starts ended in early September.
Galloway is now behind Bryan Oviedo and Adam Matthews – who can operate on either flank – in the pecking order and has played just 42 minutes of football under Coleman, having more often than not found himself as an unused substitute.
Sunderland were prepared to let him return to Merseyside so Everton could loan him out to a club where he would play regular first-team football.
However, it seems the Toffees are happy for him to stay with the Black Cats.
Coleman says he cannot fault Galloway’s attitude and work ethic in training, which means the 21-year-old may yet have a part to play in the fight against relegation.
Coleman said: “Brendan is a lovely kid and he has been working hard but he has lacked game time.
“He is here to get game time and he is not getting it.
“You don’t want to waste the boy’s time, it is a critical stage of his career for him.
“We thought maybe Everton would want to take him back, maybe loan him out somewhere else – even in the division below – but that was not the case.
“So Brendan is still here and he is a cracking boy.
“Who knows, we may need to call on him yet.”
Galloway is one of seven players Sunderland have taken on loan this season – the others being his Everton teammate Ty Browning, Jonny Williams from Crystal Palace, Liverpool’s Ovie Ejaria, Chelsea’s Jake Clarke-Salter, Boro’s Ashley Williams and Cardiff’s Lee Camp.
EFL rules mean they can name only five loanees in their matchday squad.