‘I would give him an opportunity’ – Kevin Phillips makes Sunderland claim on 21-y/o ahead of 2021/22 campaign | OneFootball

Sunderland could soon be planning for life without Charlie Wyke, who looks as though he’ll be heading for the Stadium of Light exit door this summer.

Wyke had been in hugely impressive form in the 2020/21 season, as he scored 30 goals in 53 appearances for Lee Johnson’s side, as they narrowly missed out on promotion into the Championship, after a defeat to Lincoln City in their play-off semi-final.

The forward’s contract expires this month though, and The Northern Echo have recently reported that Wyke will turn down a new contract with the Black Cats, and depart the club this summer.

It remains to be seen as to which players Sunderland will target in the transfer window to potentially replace Wyke, or they could be tempted to use one of their promising young talents in the first-team next term.

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, former Sunderland forward Kevin Phillips was keen to see Benjamin Kimpioka given an opportunity to impress in the first-team heading into the new season.

The forward has made 14 senior appearances in total for Sunderland over the years, but has found regular minutes hard to come by in the senior squad.

“I would give him an opportunity. I think most will be given their opportunity to impress in pre-season. Nobody will go out on loan before the season starts because Lee Johnson will want to have a good look at the youngsters.

“He will know very quick whether Kimpioka is up to the task. I think the time is now for Sunderland to give the youth a chance. It has not worked with experienced players like Danny Graham and Will Grigg so why not give the youngsters a chance?

“You know they will be chomping at the bit to impress. The fans will give the young players time. Kimpioka is a definite option and I’m sure a decision will be made on him after pre-season.”

Can you score full marks in this quiz about Sunderland's first-team squad?

The Verdict:

I’d like to see him given an opportunity to stake a claim for a regular spot in the Sunderland starting XI next season.

Kimpioka has shown glimpses of his quality in the Sunderland first-team in recent seasons, but he’s not featured anywhere near enough on a regular basis for the Black Cats.

At the age of 21, he deserves a chance, and if he can hit the ground running, then he could prove to be the player that fires Sunderland back into the Championship.

I’d much rather see him given a chance over the likes of Will Grigg, as Sunderland need to look towards a player who is going to be with the club in the long-term and I can see Kimpioka being just that.