The 20-year-old American attacker has enjoyed an eye-opening start to the season with the Black Cats.
US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has revealed to ESPN FC that he has been in contact with Sunderland youngster Lynden Gooch after seeing the 20-year-old American make an impressive start to the season.
Gooch, who joined Sunderland as a trainee in 2012, has been the surprise star of the Black Cats’ campaign so far, starting all four of their opening games and earning the man-of-the-match award for his performance in the 2-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough.
The California-born attacker had made just one substitute appearance for the club before this term in a 6-3 League Cup victory over Exeter City last year, but his creativity and endeavour has quickly helped endear him to supporters and even led some USA fans to back him for a first senior call-up.
There was no place for him in this month’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, but Klinsmann has stressed that the former Under-20 international only really missed out because he worried it could cost him his spot in David Moyes’ side.
Explaining his decision to leave Gooch out on his occasion, the German told ESPN FC: “It’s wonderful to see a kid break through at the start of the Premier League season. I spoke to him, and for him now it’s a case of, ‘I just broke in. I’ve got to digest that for a second, and I’ve got to make sure I keep my spot.’
“We also have to be careful schedule-wise with some youngsters because we don’t want them to lose their spots right away again. The disadvantage of our players is they lose another day flying back to their club teams in Europe. That costs some games.
“Fabian Johnson, John Brooks, Timmy Chandler… it cost them starting roles over the past few years on occasion, which was mainly related to World Cup qualifying. But the reality is playing Tuesday, fly back Wednesday, arrive in Europe Thursday. On Friday and Saturday they’re in training camp for the [league] game. A lot of them will struggle then. You have jet lag, tired legs, a long flight in your system. A lot of European coaches will then leave them aside which costs them their spot.”
Nevertheless, Klinsmann did add that there could be a chance for Gooch to earn a call-up next month for the friendly fixtures against Cuba and New Zealand, respectively, if his current form continues.
“This is World Cup qualifying right now,” he continued. “Yeah, we brought a couple of youngsters in but we give priority to the group that got Copa America done. So we’ve got to get results now. The next seven days is purely results-driven. Maybe in October, we have the opportunity to bring some youngsters in, give them some playing time. It’s a completely different scenario.
“Gooch needs to stay in the picture; don’t get pushed out now. And then when the time comes and fits in perfectly, it’s no problem at all.”
Predominantly a forward in Sunderland’s youth setup, Gooch has shown his versatility this season by lining up on both the wing and in a deeper midfield role, and that trait should help earn him more first-team chances over the coming weeks and months.
Bizarrely, the youngster played no part in the US Under-23 side’s Olympic qualifying campaign after also failing to make the squad for the 2015 Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, but his recent Premier League breakthrough suggests that he could well have a promising international future ahead.
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