Laurens De Bock has made only four appearances for Sunderland since arriving at the Stadium of Light on deadline day in a season-long loan deal.
At the time, then Sunderland boss Jack Ross was desperate for left-back cover and hoped the Belgian would be the solution to his problem.
The twenty-seven-year-old joined after making only seven appearances for Leeds following his arrival in January 2018 for an undisclosed fee from Club Bruges, for whom he played more than one hundred times and featured in Europe.
After failing to get established at Elland Road, he spent last season on loan back in his homeland at Oostende and was hoping to kick start his career in Wearside.
However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan with an injury hampering his progress and a change of manager seeing him out of favour, new boss Phil Parkinson seeming to prefer Denver Hulme on the left flank of his defence.
De Bock certainly didn’t help his cause when featuring in Sunderland’s dreadful EFL Trophy defeat to Leicester City Under-21s this week, in what was his first game back since his injury.
Nonetheless, he was in a reflective mood when speaking to the Sunderland Echo after the game, suggesting it was now up to him to force his way into Parkinson’s reckoning and put the departure of Ross behind him. He said: ‘It’s a pity (Ross leaving), but it’s not the first time I’ve been in this situation,” said De Bock
“I’ve had it before when I’ve come to a new club, and then after two weeks, a new manager comes in. It’s never easy, but I’m just trying to prove myself in training.’
Speaking about the Leicester game, he added: ‘Just now, I need this ninety minutes for my fitness levels, so I think I just have to keep in mind that I played ninety minutes and forget the result.’
‘This is the selfish way, but it is always nicer to come back in the right way.’
‘It’s up to me to improve and to prove myself to the coach.’
After complimenting the form of his rival, Hulme, for the number three jersey, De Bock concluded that all he could do was work hard in training and be ready to take his chance when it comes.
Our View
Having watched De Bock closely at Lincoln recently, I came to a conclusion he was one of the weakest players in a team that collectively didn’t show up that day.
It is no surprise he is struggling under Parkinson and little wonder Bielsa cast him aside at Leeds.
He needs to get back to the form he showed at Brugge, and quickly, or his career will sadly only be going one way.
