Sunderland completed a deal to sign Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs in early August
Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs has revealed that he held talks with “a few clubs” before sealing his transfer to Wearside this summer.
The Dutchman, who recently received his first senior international call-up, joined Regis Le Bris’ side from boyhood club NEC Nijmegen in a deal worth around £11.5 million last month, and has wasted little time in endearing himself to supporters.
After being handed the number one jersey at the Stadium of Light, the 22-year-old kept a clean sheet on his Premier League debut before stopping a penalty in a dramatic comeback victory over Brentford just prior to the international break.
And in a fresh interview in his home country, Roefs has given an insight into how his summer panned out, and how he could have ended up elsewhere before Sunderland eventually made their move to sign him.
What has Robin Roefs said about his transfer to Sunderland?
As quoted by Voetbal International, reflecting on his whirlwind past few weeks - including that first call-up to the Netherlands’ senior setup - Roefs said: “It’s all happening very quickly, and maybe it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. But these are great things. I’ve had a good start at my new club. That that’s been rewarded so quickly with a place in the Dutch first team squad. That’s fantastic.
“I had been talking to a few clubs before, but that interest fizzled out. It didn’t look like anything was going to happen, and then Sunderland came along. Two days later, I was on a plane. I had some good conversations with the manager and the directors.” I was going to be the first-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League: I didn’t want to miss that opportunity.”
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What has Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman about the decision to sign Robin Roefs?
Speaking after the time of Roefs’ arrival on Wearside, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman explained: “Robin is a talented young goalkeeper, who has been in high demand this summer after an impressive season in the Eredivisie. Right from our opening conversations, his desire to join Sunderland was clear and we are delighted that he’s now a member of our team. This was an area of our squad where we wanted increased competition and he has all the attributes to play at the highest level, so we’re looking forward to working with him to ensure he achieves that outcome at the Stadium of Light.”
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