Regis Le Bris hailed striker Eliezer Mayenda after the teenager bagged his first Sunderland goals in an emphatic 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light.
Mayenda joined Sunderland from Sochaux last summer but struggled to make an impact in his first season on Wearside and was sent on loan to Hibernian in February.
The Black Cats are pushing to sign at least one striker before the transfer deadline later this month but Mayenda has started the first two league games of the season and Le Bris’ faith was justified as the 19-year-old hit a brace against the Owls.
“It’s really a good example for all the team,” said Sunderland’s head coach.
“He wasn’t a starter last season but he still wants to improve. He has many qualities but he is still young, every day during the training session and after the games he played, he wanted to find the little details he can improve on. Today was the reward for him.
“I think there are two positions on the pitch where it is heavy to play, in goal and number nine, because the pressure, the expectation, is very high.
“For a young boy like Eliezer, today was for sure a great experience. We also know that we need to repeat and this is the most difficult thing as a number nine and for other positions on the pitch.
“I’m happy for him because he works hard, he’s very clear in the part of the games that he needs to improve. He’s always sharing ideas with the coaches and his team-mates and in the end he improves. This is a good example for all the team.”
Mayenda scored Sunderland’s second after Dennis Cirkin had headed the Black Cats into an 11th-minute lead. Luke O’Nien then added a third on 24 minutes before Mayenda rounded off the scoring in the early stages of the second half.
The win moved Sunderland joint top of the Championship with Burnley and Watford but Sheffield Wednesday tasted defeat for the first time this season.
Boss Danny Rohl, whose side secured safety when they won at the Stadium of Light on the final day of last season, said: “We came here with a lot of deserved confidence and belief but I said after the last game against Plymouth, it’s Championship football and Championship football is about delivering game by game – after one win, one more, then three and four more.
“It’s about working hard and today we came back to reality. Last time we were here we had a good feeling, today it feels really bad but I believe in this process.
“We will have games like this, now it’s about the reaction.”
