Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson was open to Will Grigg leaving the Stadium of Light in the January transfer window.
Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has stressed that Will Grigg was not “knocking on the door” looking to leave the Stadium of Light during the January transfer window (Northern Echo).
The 28-year-old striker joined Sunderland a year ago from Wigan Athletic for a reported £4million fee (BBC Sport).
It was hoped that the three-time League One promotion winner would provide the goals needed to fire Sunderland back into the second tier at the first time of asking.
A year on, the Northern Ireland international – contracted to Sunderland until 2022 – remains in single figures in terms of goals scored for the Black Cats – eight in 48 appearances in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.
During the January transfer window, Parkinson admitted that the Black Cats had received enquiries for Will Grigg, and did not rule out the prospect of the striker leaving the Stadium of Light before the window shut (Chronicle Live).
However, the League One Manager of the Month did also state at the time that Grigg “is happy to stay here and fight for his place and make a contribution” and, with the window now closed, he reiterated this once again.
“I’ve got to stress to all our supporters that Griggy wasn’t knocking on the door saying, ‘I want to go’,” Parkinson told the Northern Echo ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Ipswich. “He wants to achieve promotion at this club. He wants people to say that he’s made a contribution.
“So, he really wasn’t knocking on the door and saying, ‘I want to go. I’m not playing. I’m frustrated’, or this, that and the other. He wants to work hard to get his place back in the team, but he’s got a challenge to do that.”
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