Sunderland managed to survive the late battle for safety in the Premier League last season on the penultimate matchday and managed to gift themselves another season in England’s top-flight football league. However, Sam Allardyce, who helped the Black Cats to safety was announced as the successor for Roy Hodgson for the England national team which left the Stadium of Light without a manager. But the board acted quickly and signed former Manchester United boss David Moyes, a news which was received with open arms by the fans of the club. The new manager will want to stamp his authority on the squad and bring in a couple or more players who can help the squad to adjust to his style of play.
That has seen the club linked with a number of players recently and one such player who has reportedly started training with the squad is former Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar. The South African international could not cement a place in the team last season and managed to make just the 6 appearances for Roberto Martinez’ side. He was released at the end of the last season and is now a free agent. So what will the South African international bring to the Stadium of Light next season if the club indeed signs him?
The 34-year old, who has worked under the current Sunderland boss from 2007 to 2011 at Everton is an experienced midfielder who prefers to play on the left side. He has a unique passing ability that seems to find his teammates in space even under tough situations while his vision and technique with the ball help him create consistent chances. He is a player who is hard to defend in one on one situations and is known for the number of fouls he draws from the opponents. But his biggest assets are his defensive contributions. Though prone to rash tackles once in a while, Pienaar is an excellent reader of the game and is not afraid to put his body on the line to stop his opponents from advancing into dangerous areas, an attribute that will please Moyes and the fans at Sunderland.
He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and in running the game from the midfield and will be more than a decent addition for Sunderland this summer. He is available for free and will add loads of experience to the squad next season. The manager wants the likes of Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini to add to his squad next season and if he can get his hands on all the three targets, Moyes will have a decent squad at his disposal that will allow him to compete for a place in the top half of the table. Pienaar may be at the fag end of his career but he still has enough left in him to help Sunderland achieve their targets next season. What do you think Pienaar will bring to Sunderland next season?
