Phil Parkinson is a big fan of Swedish forward Kimpioka though his future at League One Sunderland is still very much uncertain.
Phil Parkinson admits he’s been impressed with the ‘very dangerous’ Benjamin Kimpioka, telling the Sunderland Echo that the teenager will be in the squad to face Shrewsbury Town on Saturday despite the ongoing uncertainties surrounding his contract situation.
It is no secret that the 19-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and Parkinson’s predecessor Jack Ross, as a result, refused to pick him at all during the final five months of his managerial reign at the Stadium of Light.
But Kimpioka is back in favour under the former Bolton coach. The Swede came off the bench during the final few seconds of Sunderland’s 5-0 thrashing of Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night and, with Parkinson making it clear that he’s a big fan, Kimpioka can hope of making a first ever senior start in league football sooner rather than later.
“I saw him play in the U23s on Monday night. I thought he just looked like a dangerous player, someone who could make something happen,” the 51-year-old said. “He trained with us on Thursday and he’ll be in the squad for the weekend.
“It’s an opportunity for him, even though he only played for three or four minutes the other night, I told him to go and show enthusiasm, lift the crowd.
“I felt he tried to do that with the runs he made.”
Kimpioka’s agent has previously stated that the forward would not be signing a new deal unless he was all-but guaranteed regular game-time at Sunderland, a demand which had Ross seething (Chronicle).
But Parkinson already appears to be a little more flexible to the whims of youth and his comments should also provide plenty of reason for optimism for the likes of Ethan Robson and Elliot Embleton, talented academy graduates who were never really given a chance under Ross.
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