Brian Brobbey stole the headlines with a stunning hat-trick in Sunderland’s 5-3 defeat at Premier League title contenders Manchester City.
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has admitted he loved seeing what one Sunderland star did during Sunday’s dramatic defeat at Premier League title contenders Manchester City.
The Black Cats emerged without a point after coming out on the wrong end of an eight-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium - but Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey stole the plaudits as the Dutch international hit the first hat-trick of his Black Cats career. The former Ajax frontman was a constant threat to the City backline as he used his physical presence and work-rate to great effect and he got his rewards by firing home his first goals of the Premier League season.
Brian Brobbey scored all three goals for Sunderland.placeholder image
Brian Brobbey scored all three goals for Sunderland. | Martin Rickett/PA.
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Unsurprisingly, Brobbey’s display captured the attention of former England captain Shearer as he described the Black Cats star as ‘a proper handful’ and admitted he loved seeing the Netherlands international giving home defenders a hard time.
He told The Rest is Football podcast: “How good was Brobbey? He’s a handful and a half isn’t he? To score a hat-trick and come away with nothing, it’s like my goodness. He’s a player, he gives defenders a really, really tough time and I love to see it. I did a couple of games when he was in the World Cup and seeing him up close, I know we saw him last season, but seeing him up close, he’s a proper handful.”
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‘Maybe they’ll be able to keep him’
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards.placeholder image
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards. | Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Netflix.
Speaking on the same podcast episode, former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary Lineker also revealed his admiration for Brobbey - and questioned how Sunderland could react if they are approached over a deal for their star striker.
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He added: “He is really aggressive in the box in terms of his runs. He absolutely goes on around that six-yard box and I still fail to understand why not many strikers seem to get that, it’s not that difficult to work out. He’s really good at it. He’s mid-20s, so I wonder whether they’ll be able to keep hold of him in the future. Obviously, Premier League teams all have money these days - so maybe they’ll be able to keep him.”
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