Lynden Gooch’s move to Stoke City, his best position, and why Sunderland let him leave
Signing deadline day Lynden Gooch might get his first start for Stoke City this weekend.
Lynden Gooch, the club’s new signing, will strive to set the tone from Monday through Friday, as well as in games against Stoke City.
Gooch, 27, has signed a two-year contract with Stoke after spending 17 years with Sunderland, where he was a regular when they gained promotion back to the Championship and then reached the play-offs last season.
He has a reputation for adaptability, hard effort, and enthusiasm, and he wants to utilize his expertise to aid a much-changed bet365 Stadium changing room, which has 17 new faces, including six players from overseas.
“I try to lead by example every single day,” he says. “I have high standards and do my best to motivate my teammates.” I believe that my enthusiasm on the game may benefit others. I’ve taken on that job in the previous several years at Sunderland with a youthful group, and I’m hoping to do the same here.
“First and foremost, I work hard; I bring a lot of energy up and down the field, and I enjoy getting forward as an attacking full-back or wing-back.” I can play wherever on the field; I’ve played in every position for Sunderland, and I’ll definitely put in a shift wherever it’s needed.”
Gooch had a taste of life in the Premier League with a poor Sunderland team when he made his professional debut, and he wants to return with a club on the rise.
“To join a club like Stoke, you need to have ambitions to get to the Premier League,” he stated in a video posted by the club. I believe that supporters will have such goals.
As soon as I learned of the interest, it was something I was eager to do, since the club seemed to be heading in a fresh way, adding a slew of new players. Obviously, I’d already worked with the manager, so it was a no-brainer.
“Knowing the manager is a plus.” He knows what I’m capable of on the field, and I know what he expects of me. I’m hoping to have a positive impact in the locker room now that I’m a more seasoned player.”
Gooch might make his Stoke debut this weekend against Norwich, however it is unclear the position he will play. Sunderland Echo writer James Copley shared his thoughts on what to anticipate from a “Swiss Army Knife” player.
What information do you have regarding Lynden Gooch’s best position? What are his strong points and weak points?
Lynden Gooch’s best position, in my opinion, is anywhere on the right side of the pitch. I know it’s a bit of a cop out, but I’d say he’s strongest defensively as a right-wing back since it allows him to move forward a little more, but he’ll do an excellent job at right-back as well.
He’s also a capable attacker who can readily play on the right side of an attack if necessary. He has also played left back and center back for Sunderland in the Championship and has looked at ease in all positions. Stoke City have signed a genuine Swiss Army Knife in the form of a footballer.
Why did Sunderland release him?
Gooch was in the penultimate year of his contract, and Sunderland had made it clear that he, along with Danny Batth and Alex Pritchard, would not be handed new contracts despite their outstanding achievements. We believe that these three judgments were influenced by resale value.
Given Stoke’s interest and Gooch’s age and contract situation, this was the right moment to sell and recuperate a premium for the player, giving Sunderland more flexibility in the transfer market in terms of pay budget and transfer purse.
Following Gooch’s departure, Sunderland signed Timothee Pembele, 21, from PSG as his replacement, with the reasoning being quite apparent. More room for advancement
What is his personality like on and off the field?Gooch is a lovely man and a model professional, which has left Sunderland supporters (including me) incredibly sorry to see one of their own leave the club after such a lengthy love affair (17 years).
He has been a member of the club since he was ten years old. He exemplifies everything you want in a footballer from a working-class neighborhood, such as Sunderland or Stoke City: hard work, dedication, leadership, and grit. I promise that if he has a bad day, it will not be due to a lack of effort.
Is there anything you can tell us about him that we don’t already know…
I’m not sure whether this is widely known in Stoke, but Gooch came perilously close to leaving Sunderland for Swansea City while Alex Neil was manager, but the move was scuttled by Neil himself because the Scot didn’t want to lose Gooch’s quality, hard effort, and professionalism.
Neil and Gooch’s friendship is clearly extremely strong, and from the outside looking in, the reunion appears to be positive for Neil, Gooch, and Stoke in the long run, with your manager now having a trusted general in place at the club
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