Sunderland could do with having every player available during their fight for Premier League survival.
Burnley’s Joey Barton in action with Sunderland’s George Honeyman
George Honeyman has suggested that Lee Cattermole’s return to the Sunderland team will provide David Moyes’ men with a significant boost in their fight for Premier League survival, before expressing his own personal admiration for the midfielder, the Shields Gazette reports.
The 28-year-old has not played for the Black Cats since September due to injury, but he is set to come back into contention next month.
And Honeyman – who has been one of the players who has helped fill in for Cattermole in midfield – has suggested that the former Wigan man’s comeback could be exactly what the team needs.
“When Catts gets back that will be a big boost, I love being around him because he’s one of the ones that mentally drags people through. Under his wing is not a bad place to be,” he said, as reported by the Shields Gazette.
Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole
“I like to think I go at it every training session, every match, and I think he’s probably the biggest one for that, I just love his competitive spirit and it’s something I can draw from.”
The Sunderland squad are surely in need of some inspiration as the situation at the Stadium of Light certainly looks bleak currently.
The Black Cats are situated at the bottom of the table, and although there is a cluster of teams all jostling to stay out of the bottom three, their form has given little indication that they will get themselves out of trouble.
Sunderland manager David Moyes
They have won just one game since Boxing Day and have lost four of their last six. And with Everton and Manchester City ahead in their next two games, it would hardly be a surprise if their situation is even more desperate by the time that Cattermole returns.
And should that be the case, then he will need to live up to everything Honeyman suggested about him if he hopes to inspire them to safety.
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