"So much knowledge" - Aaron Connolly makes Regis Le Bris claim following Sunderland AFC move | OneFootball

Aaron Connolly has opened up on his first impressions of meeting the Sunderland boss

Aaron Connolly has opened up on his first impression of Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris following his move to the Stadium of Light.

The forward arrived as a free agent in October, and has gone on to make six appearances in the league for the Black Cats so far, with the Irishman yet to bag his first goal for the Wearside outfit.

Connolly’s injury issues prior to moving to Sunderland raised some concerns over whether to sign the player, with the 24-year-old playing just 28 times in the Championship last year during his time with Hull City.

However, 10 goals from 33 appearances for the Tigers across two campaigns showed that he knows how to find the back of the net at this level, leading to Sunderland bringing him in to bolster their attacking options.

Aaron Connolly opens up on Régis Le Bris meeting

Connolly has revealed two immediate impressions he got from Le Bris upon meeting him for the first time.

He has praised the French coach’s calmness, as well as his tactical acumen as two impressive features he brings to the club as manager.

"He's the calming head that we all need leading the team," Connolly said, via The Northern Echo.

"He's obviously tactically spot on as everyone has seen.

"The work we put in on the training ground with the help of the coaches, together you can see the amount of work they put in every day.

“It's up to us to work just as hard on the training pitch then Saturday and Tuesdays come a lot easier.

"Calm, just very, very calm, and so much knowledge of the game.

“We had lunch and we spoke openly and honestly and you could instantly tell how much knowledge he had and how much time he puts into what he does.

"Obviously we're all seeing the benefits of that and long may that continue."

Sunderland AFC’s promotion challenge

Sunderland are currently top of the Championship table after 15 games, with the league currently on pause due to the international break.

Connolly will be hoping to play a significant role in the club’s push for a return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

The forward has started just one of his six appearances, with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda ahead of him in the pecking order for the time being.

Next up for Sunderland is a trip to face an in-form Millwall side on 23 November.

Le Bris’ impact at Sunderland so far has been immense

Sunderland had a difficult second half of the previous campaign, and their head coach search took so long that it was difficult to feel too confident about this season.

However, Le Bris has made an immediate and incredible impact at the Stadium of Light, earning a lot of credit in the process.

This is a young and talented side, but not many would’ve tipped them for an automatic promotion battle back in August.

While there’s still plenty of the season still to be played, nobody is currently doubting their credentials for a top two spot.