Former Black Stars assistant coach George Boateng has expressed confidence in Abdul Salis Samed’s potential to make a significant impact at Sunderland, despite the midfielder’s limited involvement this season.
Samed, a Ghana international, joined the English Championship club on a season-long loan from French Ligue 1 side RC Lens last summer after falling out of favour. However, his time in England has been hampered by injuries and managerial decisions, restricting him to just 10 appearances for the Black Cats.
Speaking to Flashscore.com, Boateng reflected on Samed’s journey and his qualities: “Samed is a very good midfielder, and we were lucky to have him at the World Cup in Qatar,” Boateng told Flashscore.com.
“He was one of the surprising players that came to the squad and fit in perfectly, playing alongside Thomas Partey. Coming into the Championship with Sunderland was difficult because of the injury he had.”
Boateng highlighted that the long-term injury significantly disrupted the 24-year-old’s progress, making it difficult for him to break into the starting lineup.
“He had a long-term injury that kept him out for a while, and breaking into the first team has been difficult.’ He has been very unfortunate with injuries, but he is a player with attributes that I think are suited for the English game. If the loan can be extended to next season, then we can expect more from Samed,” he added.
Samed was an unused substitute on Tuesday as Sunderland edged past Frank Lampard’s Coventry City with a 3-2 aggregate win, moving one step closer to Premier League promotion.
The Black Cats will now face Sheffield United later this month at Wembley Stadium in the Championship playoff final, with a spot in the top flight on the line.
