Luke O'Nien reveals details of the debate over his best Sunderland position and the attribute that could prove key

Luke O’Nien has confirmed that the debate over his best position continues – but admits his energy could be useful to Sunderland’s midfield.
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The 26-year-old returned to the fold with a brief cameo in the win over Shrewsbury Town, in what was his first appearance since the draw with Burton Albion December 1.

O’Nien was introduced into the centre of midfield for the final minutes as Sunderland saw out the contest – but the debate over whether his long-term future on Wearside lies rages on.

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Lee Johnson and the player himself held talks last week over where he should be utilised moving forward, with no clear conclusion made.

Luke O'Nien reveals details of the debate over his best Sunderland position and the attribute that could prove keyLuke O'Nien reveals details of the debate over his best Sunderland position and the attribute that could prove key
Luke O'Nien reveals details of the debate over his best Sunderland position and the attribute that could prove key

And O’Nien says he will continue to monitor footage as he tries to identify where he can offer the most value to this Sunderland side in the long-term.

“We haven't quite pinpointed that because I've played a lot of different positions recently,” he said of the discussions with Johnson.

"I just really enjoy my football.

"I've asked the gaffer that wherever he puts me he judges me on that position, not as someone filling in. For my own personal pride, I take a lot of pride in wanting to play well wherever I play.

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"I spend a lot of time watching clips and trying to narrow down where my best position is, but for now if the gaffer wants me for 2 minutes or 90 minutes in a position then I'll make sure I can do that.”

Many have assumed that O’Nien will slot rather seamlessly into Johnson’s midfield, given he wants those in the engine room to show plenty of energy and a desire to contribute in both boxes.

And the man himself admits the energy for which he is renowned could prove a good fit with the midfield role.

"I think one of my main strengths is that energy - not just on the football pitch but away from it as well. It drives my missus nuts sometimes!

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"Energy is one of my core strengths and that can benefit the midfield with having to go box-to-box.

"I'll make sure that whatever position I do play I'm turning weakness into strengths. That's something I'm always looking to do - so play me anywhere!”

But whether his long-term future lies in that area remains to be seen.

Key also to the decision will be performance data, with O’Nien himself keen to examine the statistics behind his performances moving forward.

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Johnson has agreed to support the former Wycombe man with that – and O’Nien was quick to praise the early impact of the head coach on Wearside.

"We were speaking yesterday [Friday]about whatever position I play, we can get stats on that.

"Stats are facts and I can improve my performance based on them, and he's going to help me produce.

"He's always talking to me, his door is open for anyone and I enjoy his sessions too. Now we just need to make sure we get on a good winning run for him.”

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For O’Nien, the focus is also on building-up his minutes ahead of a crucial period.

With games coming thick and fast, he is likely to be utilised further in the coming weeks – and O’Nien himself is hoping to see momentum grow as we enter the business end of the campaign.

"It's always great to be up for selection,” he admitted.

"I think it's an exciting time to be back with a game every four or five days. There's lot of games to play, lots of points to play for, and we've given ourselves a good three points today.

"The crucial part of finishing a season is consistency and momentum, and there's no better time to do that than now.”

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And the fan favourite believes the side will now benefit from a mentally stronger player during the final months of the season – having spend a great deal of time learning about his mindset during his spell on the sidelines.

O’Nien was keen not to let frustration fester for too long during his period injured, and instead tried to take the positives from what could have become a testing spell.

“I let myself get frustrated for about a day, because if you get frustrated you're the only real loser,” he explained.

"I let myself have a little mope for about 24 hours, then it's all about planning.

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"I think what I've learnt in the last few months is that it's about planning and focusing on what you can do. If you focus on what you can't do it gets very frustrating, but there's always something you can do.

"It's been a good time for me in terms of that I've learnt a lot about myself, my mindset and coming back stronger from it.

"From the outside it may look like a bit of a tough time for me, which it is, but where there's tough times you can learn a lot from these things. I've taken a lot away from being on the sidelines.

“Everyone trains to want to play games and to be sidelined for a while, it's a little bit frustrating,” he continued.

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"You want to be a part of it so to get back out there felt really good. A big thanks to all the physios and staff for putting up with me in the physio room, because I'm a bit of a nightmare in there.”

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