Patrick Roberts reveals key reason behind his decision to seal Sunderland switch | OneFootball

Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts has revealed that he decided to join the club in the January transfer window because he wanted to help the club achieve promotion to the Championship.

Following a brief loan spell at Troyes earlier this season, the 25-year-old made a permanent exit from Manchester City as he sealed a switch to the Stadium of Light.

Since making this decision, Roberts has gone on to feature on 16 occasions in the third-tier.

The winger helped his side book their place in the play-off final by scoring a crucial equaliser in Sunderland’s showdown with Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month.

Set to face Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium this weekend, the Black Cats will be determined to secure victory in this fixture after losing at this stage of the competition in 2019.

Having started in both legs of the club’s semi-final with the Owls, Roberts will be hoping to retain his place in the side this weekend.

Ahead of this fixture, Roberts has revealed why he decided to make the move to Sunderland.

Speaking to Chronicle Live, Roberts said: “As soon as Sunderland came in for me, I jumped at the chance to join – and this [promotion] was always the aim.

“The aim was to be in with a shot of getting promotion.

“The manager has obviously come in with exactly the same aim, and right from the word go, he’s set us up tactically to a tee to achieve that.

“He puts on that platform to go out there to do what we do, and right through the team, I think we’ve delivered.

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“When I came in, I felt a really good feeling for the club.

“They’re a top team.

“They shouldn’t be in League One, but you can’t keep saying that – you’ve got to do it on the pitch and I think we’ve shown what we can do.”

The Verdict

Roberts will be desperate to achieve his aim of helping Sunderland get back to the Championship this weekend.

Having provided three direct goal contributions at this level, it will be intriguing to see whether the 25-year-old will be able to deliver the goods against Wycombe.

When you consider that the latest clash between these two sides ended in a 3-3 draw at Adams Park in January, it could turn out to be an enthralling affair at Wembley.

By maintaining their composure in this fixture, Sunderland will fancy their chances of beating Wycombe as they are currently on a 15-game unbeaten run in the third-tier.