Sunderland youngster Jules Ahoka made a big impression in the club’s comeback win on Thursday evening.

Régis Le Bris praised Sunderland midfielder Jules Ahoka for taking his chance to impress in Portugal on Thursday night.

The DR Congo youngster signed from Royal Antwerp in the summer despite making just a handful of senior appearances for the Belgian side, but produced a very impressive performance on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Hull City. Thursday evening's clash with SCU Torreense in the Europa League was his latest chance to make a mark and he performed very well, scoring the equaliser after being moved further forward following Granit Xhaka's introduction from the bench.

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Having been a consistent goal threat in that game against Hull, the 20-year-old is showing he has a lot to offer over and above his defensive midfield attributes and Le Bris believes he is showing he can have an impact in the Premier League when the opportunity comes around.

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"Absolutely," Le Bris said. "He's really young, and this game shows how much potential he has. He has the ability to be well connected with the squad, the ability to understand tactical concepts and to connect with his team mates. And he has this physicality, this impact in the box. Really huge potential. He has played against Hull, and in the training sessions with us and the game here he is showing it is possible for him to step up to the team with us. It's true."

Ahoka was not named in the matchday squad for the defeat to Brighton last week having returned from international duty, but could be included at Bournemouth this weekend.

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