The forgotten Sunderland man scored a fine opening goal in Italy’s 2-0 win over Belgium on Monday night.
For Sunderland, last season was another frustrating campaign as the club ultimately battled their way to Premier League survival in the final week of the campaign.
Aside from Jermain Defoe’s 15 goals, the Black Cats looked desperately short on quality for much of the season, particularly before the January transfer window signings of Jan Kirchhoff, Wahbi Khazri, and Lamine Kone.
However, any Sunderland supporters watching Italy’s Euro 2016 clash with Belgium on Monday night may have been surprised to see Wearside represented with a fine individual performance from a player who has become something of an afterthought at the Stadium of Light.
Emanuele Giaccherini has struggled to adapt to English football since his move to the club three years ago, making just 32 Premier League appearances, and has not played for Sunderland competitively since the final game of the 2014-15 season, which was his first action in over three months.
However, he was named in the starting line-up by Antonio Conte for the Azzurri’s opener against Belgium and put in an impressive showing, scoring the opening goal with a fine control and finish, and coming close to doubling his tally late on.
The diminutive midfielder looked a classy talent in Lyon, and his display certainly got Sunderland fans talking on Twitter during and after the match.
For some, his goalscoring performance was enough to convince them that the star should be given a chance to force his way back into contention under Sam Allardyce after his loan at Bologna last season.
For others though, one bright performance on the international stage was not enough evidence to suggest that things would be any easier for Giaccherini at the Stadium of Light if he was given one last chance to impress next term.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
