Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs caught the eye again against Newcastle United

Goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel has lavished praise on Sunderland stopper Robin Roefs following his commanding display in Sunday’s Wear-Tyne Derby triumph over Newcastle United.

The Black Cats ran out 1-0 winners against their bitter rivals, with Nick Woltemade heading a bizarre own goal past Aaron Ramsdale in the Magpies’ net. At the other end, Roefs was relatively untroubled by the visitors, but made a noticeable habit of coming to claim several speculative deliveries into the box.

And speaking after the full-time whistle at the Stadium of Light, former Manchester United number one Schmeichel emphasised just how invaluable that kind of authoritative presence can be for a defending side.

What did Peter Schmeichel say about Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs?

During a punditry appearance for Viaplay, the Dane said: “Robin Roefs... He looks fantastic. He looks so calm. Honestly, that pressure they’re under - he came out for crosses, he was a little bit unlucky with the last bit there, where he fell open - but he was so calm all the way throughout the game.

“He was brilliant on the ball, and when he needed to come out for crosses he did. He took that pressure off the defence. I’m impressed by him. He’s played every game. €10 million [sic] they paid. He might just end up being one of the buys of the season.”

Roefs signed for Sunderland from NEC Nijmegen in August for an initial fee of £9 million, which could ultimately rise to £11.5 million depending on various add-ons. Upon his arrival in the North East, he quickly established himself as Regis Le Bris’ de facto first choice and has since produced a number of eye-catching performances.

What did Robin Roefs say after Sunderland win vs Newcastle United?

Reflecting on the derby victory, Roefs himself said: “The first half was like creating a little bit more danger with all the possession you have, but we dominated them and weren’t in real trouble.

Asked whether Newcastle’s lack of threat surprised him, Roefs instead highlighted Sunderland’s control and preparation. “No. I was maybe more surprised with… we analysed them, and they are really a pressing team,” he explained. “They press a lot with really high intensity, and, especially the first half, we were able to keep the ball up, and this maybe was more my surprise. We know what we are capable of and did a really good job.”

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He added: “I was going to say this was just another win, but it’s not that of course. It means something more but it’s up to us to go again next week and make sure this is not just some incident and we keep going.”

Despite Newcastle being kept largely at arm’s length, Roefs credited Sunderland’s defensive unit for making his afternoon straightforward. “I knew playing at home that it’s going to be really difficult for them to keep the ball up, create a lot of chances,” he said. “And maybe I was surprised because I didn’t really have anything to do, just some crosses, some easy shots. But I know what my defenders are capable of, and they did such a good job again.”

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