'I was fed up' - Timothee Pembele details Sunderland woes before Ligue 1 transfer to Le Havre
The right-back moved to Ligue 1 on loan from Sunderland during last summer’s transfer window
Timothee Pembele has stated he was “fed up” at Sunderland before moving on loan to Le Havre in the summer.
After a disappointing spell on Wearside, the Black Cats allowed the right-back to head out on loan to Ligue 1 side Le Havre during the summer transfer window. Pembele joined Sunderland from Paris Saint-Germain last September but made just eight Championship appearances as he struggled with injury and the challenge of displacing Trai Hume in the starting XI.
“I really didn’t think that HAC would come looking for me! I was in second division in England, I wasn’t playing, and I thought I’d go back to Ligue 2,” Pembele said about the move back to France. “I have confidence in myself, I know I have the ability to play in Ligue 1, but in today’s football, when a player doesn’t play, he’s quickly forgotten.
“When my agent told me that Le Havre were interested in me, I said straight out, ‘Let’s go! I didn’t look to see where I stood in the pecking order, I just said to myself, I’m going, I’m fighting, and we’ll see what happens!”
Pembele has played 586 minutes from seven games for Le Havre so far this campaign and is set to enjoy regular minutes with them this season under manager Didier Digard. However, Pembele has also revealed he was “fed up” with having to play with the reserves both at Sunderland and for his new club.
“In the end, it took a bit of time. I signed in the last few days of the window, and the coach gave me a warm welcome, telling me that I needed to get my rhythm back,” Pembele explained. “So, I played one match with the reserves. In England, I played quite a few games with the reserves, and I was fed up with playing with younger players. But the coach explained to me that I had to play 90 minutes to get into a rhythm. After that, it was one thing after another.”
Pembele’s contract at Sunderland lasts until 2028, and there is no option for Le Havre to make Pembele’s loan deal permanent next summer. After the deal was concluded, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman made it clear that he expects the full-back to return and compete for a place next summer.