Ex-Sunderland favourite explains what it’s like playing for Regis Le Bris after spell at Lorient

Former Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone believes new Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris will be a good fit for the club after working with the Frenchman at Lorient.

The Italian stopper, who spent four years at Sunderland between 2013 and 2017, made 20 appearances for Lorient during the 2022/23 season when Le Bris was in charge of the former Ligue 1 club.

Speaking to Sunderland’s website about Le Bris’ style of play, Mannone explained: “He is a coach that likes to play football. When I was with him, I managed to progress myself with certain parts of the game. He is a different kind of coach. He is one of the best at making you progress technically.

“He is thoughtful and he talks well. He is very deep into football. I wouldn’t like to compare it to anyone, but he is very detailed. He is a coach that likes to build out from the back, playing football and searching for solutions to beat the opponent. We had tactics for every opponent.

“He made me do stuff that I hadn’t done before so that is a way to progress a player. That goes into every training session. We had to be connected with each other and find new ways to attack. We will see how this works in England and in the Championship.”

Mannone also knows how important it will be for Le Bris to connect with the Sunderland fans, which was also a key part of his job in France.

“At Lorient, we had a lot of meetings about having a relationship with the fans,” Mannone added. “It was one of the most important things at Lorient when he was there.

“In France, you have to go over to the ultras and speak to them. You have to go over and thank the fans and he wanted that relationship. It was very important to him, so I hope that is going to work really well with him at Sunderland.

“When a new coach comes, they need a bit of support. I’m sure the fans will give him the best support. They will welcome him. He needs to work with the players and get them to gel together. Hopefully the players will start to grow game-by-game.”