The Sunderland story worth celebrating as youngster sets perfect example in Poznan
Timur Tutierov scored his first goal for Sunderland in Poland on Thursday evening
Timur Tutierov is ushered into the mixed zone and as soon as his first goal for the club is mentioned, a broad grin spreads across his face.
It has been an incredible week for the youngster, the goal the reward not just for hard graft behind the scenes in recent weeks but for years of application and development. Tutierov arrived in Sunderland in 2023 and at no point was it obvious and guaranteed that he would have a moment like this. As Sunderland fans who have watched him over the last week will have seen, he is a good footballer with lots of natural attributes but speak to people behind the scenes on Wearside and they will say that it is his dedication and application that sets him apart. Even as he adjusted to a new country as a teenager all those years ago, Tutierov was often asked to step up to the senior environment to help, translate for and support Nazariy Rusyn and the coaching staff.
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It's why there is no great surprise that he has been able to take this opportunity in Europe, even though most of his football for the club has been played on the wing. To see Tutierov trying to take this moment in and reflect on it was a reminder that even if the end result was one of frustration and there is understandable concern about Sunderland's striking options in the Premier League especially, this is a special story worth celebrating.
"Unbelievable emotions," he said. "It's something I have dreamed about and it's happened. Scoring for Sunderland in a big game for us. I don't have words to describe it.
“In the first game in the Europa League for me it was like, yes I can do it, then okay it doesn't happen, let's go to another game. I can celebrate this one and so it has ended up well. The last week has given me a lot of confidence, a lot. I really appreciate the support from the boys, from the staff. They give me lots of confidence to feel free to play and I feel really positive from them."
Someone who keenly thinks about his game, Tutierov stops to think about the lessons of the last week and where he can improve. As he outlined in Portugal a week previous, improving his physicality is now a key focus wherever his career might take him.
"It's men's football," he said. "It's more intense football than I'm used to playing. Maybe if we take something specific [to improve] it's hold-up play because I play against a big defender and I need to develop the skill quite quickly."
Tutierov's rise and hard work in recent times is all the more remarkable given the situation in his home nation of Ukraine, where his family have been closely watching his progress. This was not just a special personal moment in Poznan, but a poignant one too.
"It's going to be great to speak to my family," he said. "It is very important for me not just because they are my family but because all the country right now is in a bad situation. If I can bring positive emotions it's so good for me and I will try to bring them as much as I can so I can make people happy. If it's just my family it's fine, but if it's more people it's even better."
Wherever Tutierov's journey takes him next, he is a player worth rooting for. The last seven days have opened up big new opportunities in his career, whether that be at Sunderland or somewhere else down the line. It’s richly deserved, an academy success story and inspiration for every youngster in the set up on Wearside.
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