Simon Adingra signed for Sunderland from Brighton this summer
Sunderland winger Simon Adingra has opened up on the conversations he had with compatriot Amad Diallo about the club prior to his summer switch to the Stadium of Light.
The wide man joined the Black Cats from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee of around £21 million back in July, and has since gone on to feature in all three of his new side’s Premier League outings to date this season.
For his part, Amad established himself as a beloved fan favourite during a loan spell on Wearside during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 14 goals in 42 appearances as he helped Tony Mowbray’s side to a place in the Championship play-offs.
Since departing the club, the Ivorian has made no secret of his enduring affection for Sunderland, and in a new interview with the Black Cats’ in-house media team, Adingra has revealed that he spoke to his international teammate about what it would be like to play in the North East.
What has Sunderland winger Simon Adingra said about Amad Diallo?
Speaking to Sunderland’s official website, he said: "He [Amad] spoke to me about how big the club is, how passionate the fans are so if you give everything, then the fans will give everything back to me. He told me to enjoy it."
Addressing the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, Adingra said: “It’s a bit different in terms of the fans compared to where I come from. They are very loud when we are on the pitch and they push the team a lot. I receive messages from fans on social media and I see how passionate they are around the club. It means a lot to them.
“They tell me that you have to give everything. 'We are here to support you', they say. Every single fans want to see this club progressing. They want to see this club at the highest level as possible so it means a lot to them to see us in the big league.”
Adingra made his competitive debut for the Black Cats during last month’s Premier League curtain-raiser against West Ham, and has reflected on what it was like to play in such an intense environment. He continued: “I remember the tifo. You could see from there that this is Sunderland.
“It was crazy as it was my first time playing at the Stadium of Light. I heard people talking about the fans. It was amazing to be there and see how that. I think they also played a part in the win.”
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The 23-year-old was also quizzed on Sunderland’s survival hopes, and more specifically, why he believes the Black Cats can buck a worrying trend that has seen all six newly promoted clubs immediately relegated in each of the last two Premier League campaigns.
He responded: “Because this is Sunderland. That’s why it’s different. We have a good squad and they have been welcoming so they’ve helped me adapt as quickly as possible into the team. We have really good teammates.
“When I look at the quality of the players and the project of the club, we see the aim of wanting to be in the Premier League. We are not coming here to go straight back down and we want to be stable in the Premier League.”
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