Kimpioka happy to fight for Cats place
Boss the reason I turned down loan deals - striker
BENJI Kimpioka was persuaded not to leave Sunderland in January by manager Jack Ross’ faith in him - but a busy deadline day might mean the wisdom of that rests on next month’s trip to Bristol Rovers.
Ross made it clear in January he wanted the Swedish forward to stay at the Stadium of Light to offer more attacking options.
With Jerome Sinclair returning to Watford after an underwhelming loan, Josh Maja’s sale to Bordeaux left only Charlie Wyke and Duncan Watmore at centre-forward.
Both were making their way back from knee injuries - two very serious ones in Watmore’s case.
Yet the picture changed on deadline day, with the £4m arrival of Will Grigg and loan man Kazaiah Sterling.
The loan signing of Lewis Morgan narrowed off another option, the Scot favouring the leftwing position Kimpioka has also been used in.
Since then, Kimpioka - who turns 19 on Thursday - has not so much as made the bench.
However, the Football League Trophy has been his competition and if Sunderland win their semi-final at Rovers and Kimpioka is involved in a Wembley final it may justify his decision.
Kimpioka said when asked if there had been any interest in a January loan: “There was a team in the division below (League Two), some in League One and the Conference.
“I had a talk with the academy manager Paul Reid a few months ago.
“At first I thought ‘Yes,’ but then I felt I have developed here.
“I chatted with my agent and the next day Jack said he did not want me to go on loan.
“It motivated me and now I am fighting even harder here.”
Ross (below) has tried to promote academyreared youngsters, partly because he believes it is the right thing to do and partly out of expediency - but has had to balance that with the demands for promotion.
George Honeyman was made captain for only his second full season and Lynden Gooch has been a regular for the first time.
Wyke’s and Watmore’s injuries allowed Maja to score 16 goals in the first half of the campaign and secured his move to Bordeaux for a fee of £1.5m, rising to £3.5m.
Denver Hume briefly impressed at left-back in the autumn but is only now returning from a knee injury.
Bali Mumba was involved during the opening weeks of the season at the age of 16 but his only league appearance since August was as an 88th-minute substitute appearance at Plymouth Argyle.
Ethan Robson’s injuries have never really allowed him to compete for a midfield place and he joined Dundee on loan in January.
Elliot Embleton has spent all season on loan at Grimsby Town and Max Stryjek was at Eastleigh in the first half of the campaign.
Ross has taken a shine to the unpredictable Kimpioka, who has featured in all but one of Sunderland’s six Football League Trophy matches - scoring twice.
League One and Two clubs are supposed to field their first teams but even they use the competition to blood youngsters.
Kimpioka added: “I immediately felt this is a very nice guy and a good coach. He is especially good with us young players.
“You want to impress and when it went well in the under-23s (in pre-season), he brought me directly into the senior team. We will see where it takes me.”
Even Sterling, a 20-year-old product of England’s St George’s Park, has struggled for game-time since his loan move from Spurs.
He made his debut at home to Wimbledon when Grigg had still not recovered from an ankle injury as a 59th-minute substitute.
Sterling is cup-tied in the Football League Trophy, having played for Tottenham Under21s against Portsmouth and Oxford United.