“I put it aside” – Sunderland man not thinking about future focused on helping club this season.
Last summer, Sunderland allowed Pierre Ekwah to join AS Saint-Étienne on a season-long loan deal.
The midfielder joined the Black Cats from West Ham United in January 2023 and was a regular until the end of the last campaign. He wasn’t able to secure a place in Sunderland’s XI under Régis Le Bris at the start of this season.
This convinced Ekwah to join the Ligue 1 club on loan and he’s been a regular for them this season, making 21 appearances so far.
Allez Les Lions interviewed the Sunderland man, and he explained what convinced him to join Saint-Étienne. Foot Sur 7 have relayed his comments.
Olivier Dall’Oglio was the manager at the French club when the 23-year-old joined them. He and Saint-Étienne sporting director Loïc Perrin convinced him to leave Sunderland on loan last summer.
“I spoke with the former coach [Dall’Oglio], but also with the sporting director [Perrin]. What they had to say appealed to me, especially the ASSE club project. […] I wanted to discover the French championship and, of course, play in Ligue 1,” he said.
Saint-Étienne risk being relegated to the second division, a year after getting promoted.
They are in the 16th spot [18 teams in Ligue 1] and the Sunderland owned player’s focus is on helping his team stay in Ligue 1. He mentioned this when discussing his own future beyond this season.
“The main thing is to get out of this complicated situation and ensure the maintenance of the club. My goal is to raise my level of play, perform better and better serve the team. My personal case, I really put it aside,” Ekwah explained.
