Sunderland
Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey may insist he wasn’t showing off his physique at the weekend for the Dutch press. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t noticed.
Voetbal Primeur cover comments from Marciano Vink today.
He’s full of praise for Sunderland and the work they’ve done on the 24-year-old.
Newcastle heroics
Brobbey was the hero again for Sunderland at the weekend. He bagged a last-minute winner in 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
He celebrated that goal by ripping off his shirt and demonstrating a toned physique to the crowd as he beat his chest in celebration. That new physique didn’t go unnoticed back in the Netherlands.
Brobbey’s fitness was a regular source of frustration at former club Ajax, where he often failed to finished 90 minutes under Francesco Farioli.
The Sunderland striker has since insisted that wasn’t his fault, but a decision from the Ajax manager. He also made it clear his celebration was not to show the detractors in the Netherlands how much he has changed.
Sunderland efforts pay off
But that does not mean his improved physique has not gone unnoticed. Vink was one of those watching at the weekend, and he was left more than impressed.
“Something has definitely clicked for him,” he said on Voetbalpraat on Wednesday.
“You can see that when he takes off his shirt too. He is so ripped, he’s like concrete. What I find fantastic is that he was often criticised for not being able to last ninety minutes.
“Now you see that when you go abroad and real specialists are put on the job, this is what comes out.”
Match of the Day praise
Brobbey’s performance in the derby with Newcastle earned particular praise from British pundits on Sunday.
The striker spent most of his 90 minutes on the pitch in a battle with Newcastle’s centre-backs, which he eventually won. That earned him praise from the analysts on Match of the Day, something Vink also noticed.
“When you see the energy, he puts in and how quickly he has also won over the analysts of Match of the Day. The fact that they start with ‘how can you not love Brobbey’, I find that truly unique,” he added.