Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland lifts his medal as he celebrates victory and subsequent promotion to the Premier League
Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland lifts his medal as he celebrates victory and subsequent promotion to the Premier League
Jobe Bellingham has credited Regis Le Bris for his improved performances this season, after Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League.
Bellingham has been a key player throughout the season under Le Bris, with Sunderland ultimately exceeding expectations to finish fourth and then beat Coventry City and Sheffield United in the play-offs to seal their top flight return.
His performances over the course of the campaign earned the 19-year-old the Championship Young Player of the Year award and have also resulted in a number of top European clubs, including Dortmund, showing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.
Crediting Le Bris’ faith in his upturn this season, Bellingham told Sky Sports: “There are loads of little things that add context to the season. The manager changes and obviously the inconsistency that brings. I also played a lot of different positions as well. They’re not excuses; I’ve got no reasons to make excuses.
“It was just a more natural thing as far as development is concerned. I was more comfortable at the club this season and I guess that’s shown on the pitch. That’s been the biggest thing for me.
“The manager gave me great confidence at the start of the season saying to me, ‘that’s exactly where I want you to play’. The number eight is my favourite position - my best position, I suppose. It helps me show my capabilities on the pitch and that benefits the team.”
On his pride in being part of Sunderland team that won promotion back to the Premier League after an eight-year absence, he continued: “The memories we’ve shared in the last couple of weeks with supporters are pictures that you will remember in your mind forever. For everyone, the supporters, the staff, the players, it means everything.
“It’s what we’ve been aiming to achieve. Every single player that comes here in recent years has made clear the desire to get the club back to the Premier League. So many have failed, but I take a lot of pride in saying I was one of the players who helped this club get back to where it belongs.
“I always believed. You have to. When you have supporters like this and a group of players like that, you have to believe. I know some doubted us, and that’s understandable. We lost a few games and people were talking about momentum. But I think we did enough and showed enough throughout the season to have at least deserved some credit going into the play-offs.
“We heard all the calls that we were too inexperienced, and this and that, but we just proved that doesn’t matter. Experience helps, of course, but at Sunderland, they’ve shown faith in us as young players. You earn experience from playing, and sometimes from failing. We’ve failed together so many times, but in the end we’ve come good. It’s great to be part of this great team. Every single player has made a name for themselves today. I’m just really proud.”