Ex-Sunderland defender Lamine Koné sends heartfelt message to Black Cats as he reflects on Premier League dream
Former Sunderland defender Lamine Koné has sent an emotional message to the Black Cats, describing his time at the Stadium of Light as a dream come true.
In a post on Instagram, the Ivory Coast international – who joined Sunderland from Lorient in January 2016 – reflected on a career that took him from France to the Premier League, with Wearside holding a special place in his heart.
“A huge thank you to Big Sam and Sunderland, who have offered me the chance to live a dream: to play in the Premier League, and to be, in the time of an evening, the hero of a stadium,” Koné wrote on social media when announcing his retirement.
The centre-back became a cult hero among fans after scoring twice in the 3-0 win over Everton in May 2016, a result which secured Sunderland’s survival under Sam Allardyce, with the result also relegating North East rivals Newcastle United.
Koné also thanked his formative club La Berrichonne de Châteauroux and former coach Frédéric Zago, Lorient boss Christian Gourcuff, and Racing Club de Strasbourg, where he spent the final years of his career before deciding to retire.
“Thanks to my training club, La Berrichonne de Châteauroux, with a special mention for Frédéric Zago, who always believed in me. Thanks to Lorient and Christian Gourcuff, who have enabled me to progress to the highest level. Thank you, Racing Club de Strasbourg, for these three beautiful years, marked by a League Cup and one of the best audiences in France,” he added.
Régis Le Bris delivers verdict on Sunderland's pre-season form
Sunderland have not win since their first pre-season fixture against South Shields, but Le Bris insists he is pleased with the progress of his team. "I'm not too worried, we lost the last five games of the Championship season but we understood why," Le Bris said.
Le Bris added after the game to the media at the Stadium of Light: "It's not the same scenario but we are building a new squad, the quality is clear so it's just a question of adding new building blocks. We can feel the energy is different."
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Xhaka delivered an excellent performance at the base of midfield and Le Bris confirmed that he is likely to be captain for the upcoming campaign.
Le Bris said: "We need maturity, level, consistency, experience - he brings everything. You can feel that for the others around him, it makes their life easier. For the Premier League it really helps to have two, three lads like that. He will probably be captain, yes."
Le Bris also praised goalkeeper Robin Roefs, who delivered a solid performance. Le Bris said: "Robin has this quality, he has composure on the ball. He's a good goalkeeper, he looked very good this afternoon."
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