Gooch feeling down but reasons to be optimistic
LYNDEN Gooch admits he has mixed feelings about Sunderland’s season – but has also given the biggest hint yet he will stay at the club next season.
Gooch enjoyed a fruitful campaign in the Championship which saw him impress whilemaking 29 appearances for the Black Cats – netting twice and assisting five.
Particularly towards the latter stages of the season, the 22-year-old USA international emerged as one of the Wearsiders’ star performers before becoming injured and missing the final four games of the campaign.
However despite his best efforts, the club suffered back-to-back relegations and will now play League One football next season – something which the academy graduate is finding hard to take.
Gooch said: “It’s been a good season personally because this is the most I’ve ever played in the first team. I made a lot of appearances.
“Yet at the same time it’s frustrating because we have been relegated, which is a huge disappointment for everyone.
“There are mixed feelings because I hit my first ever senior goal and set up a few goals too.
“Hopefully I can just kick-on, keep doing that and be a regular starter next season.”
Gooch’s longrange strike early on in the season against Carlisle United was his first ever senior goal for the club.
He then added his first league goal in a defeat to Cardiff.
Those are two memories which he can take from the season despite the overall disappointment. Gooch added: “The first goal (against Carlisle) probably meant more than the first league one, just because that one came first and it was a huge relief to finally get one. “I’d been waiting a long, long time for it. “The second one (his first league goal against Cardiff) was at home, though ,so that was special. “Both were great memories for me and hopefully I can continue and score more goals - and set more up too.” Gooch has delayed his summer holidays in a bid to return to full fitness for the club. Sunderland’s players were sent on their way last Sunday evening by caretaker manager Robbie Stockdale following the conclusion of a miserable season.
The club have been relegated to League One and, with no manager in place and a takeover impending, Stockdale saw no reason to ask the players to continue reporting to the Academy of Light for the time being.
However, USA international Gooch has still been at the club every day for the past week as he aims to recover from an injury which resulted in him missing the final four games of the season.
The 22-year-old said: “I’m getting there slowly (in his recovery from the injury which came as a result of a kick to the quad and lower knee in training).
“I’ve had an injection in last week and so hopefully I’ll be back running next week.
“I want to get the injury sorted, get back out on the pitch and get fit before I go away.
“I might go away on international duty but I’m not sure If I’ll be picked yet - but the hope is to be fit for that and then also the start of pre-season.”