If only David Moyes possessed an in-form winger, creating and scoring in equal measure. Unfortunately, Jeremain Lens is unlikely to return any time soon.
On loan Fenerbache winger Jeremain Lens has admitted to Voetball International that he has no desire to return to parent club Sunderland because he feels he is no longer welcome on Wearside, The Chronicle reports.
The Dutchman showed the Black Cats what they are missing with a sublime free-kick in Fenerbache’s 2-1 Europa League triumph over Manchester United last week, earning him a return to Danny Blind’s Holland squad ahead of the international break.
Lens’ current form is in stark contrast to his dismal debut season at the Stadium of Light, especially once compatriot Dick Advocaat, who had fought to secure his signature from Dynamo Kiev, was replaced by Sam Allardyce just weeks into the season.
The now-disgraced Allardyce famously demands high levels of commitment from his players, and was left unimpressed by Lens’ minimal work rate, the Sunderland Echo reported, which meant he wasn’t given the chance to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League until the final game of the season.
And the former PSV winger, who swapped the North East for Istanbul in the summer, says he has no future with the league’s bottom club.
“I feel I no longer belong there. If Fenerbahce want me, I want to stay,” Lens told Voetball International in quotes reported by The Chronicle.
“I am not happy at Sunderland. I have friends within this (Fenerbahce) team, my relationships with my team-mates are excellent.”
Lens has scored twice and set up four more already in Turkey this season, while David Moyes’ side have badly struggled for creativity or goals with the obvious exception of the evergreen Jermain Defoe.
However, Lens is a classic case of a player failing to adapt to the famed physicality of the English game, meaning there is no guarantee his form this season would translate over to Wearside.
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