Sunderland midfielder George Honeyman made three first-team appearances in January.
George Honeyman has admitted to the Sunderland Echo that he is desperate for more first-team football.
Honeyman signed a new long term contract at the start of the season, which tied down his future at the Stadium of Light.
However, Honeyman struggled to break into Sunderland’s team over the first part of the season.
The 22-year-old had to wait until January until being handed his first chance in Sunderland’s senior team, during the Black Cats’ FA Cup tie against Burnley.
Sunderland lost that match 2-0, but Honeyman has stayed in and around the first-team ever since.
The youngster has now featured in two of Sunderland’s recent Premier League contests, and he is eager for more chances in the coming weeks.
“Coming into the season, I signed a new contract at the end of last summer and I thought, right, OK, I’m going to get opportunities, maybe in the cup. When that didn’t happen it was really mentally tough,” Honeyman said.
“I was virtually 19th man on every squad and it was mentally draining going to every away game and being the one in the stands. Everyone was saying, ‘You’ve got to stick with it, you’re training really well and it will happen.’
“I played a couple of games and I thought I did all right but once you get into that team you just want to keep going at it.
“I’m just desperate to play some more games.”
Honeyman has recently been with the rest of the Sunderland squad training in New York.
The Black Cats are next in action at the weekend, when they take on Everton at Goodison Park.
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