The Sunderland cameo that went under the radar but caught Régis Le Bris's eye in Hull City win
Sunderland produced a solid display on the road to edge past Hull City on Sunday afternoon
Régis Le Bris believes Aaron Connolly has already shown what he can bring to Sunderland after a brief debut at Hull City on Sunday.
Connolly replaced goalscorer Wilson Isidor for the closing stages of the game and while there were few opportunities for the Irishman to demonstrate his finishing prowess, Le Bris felt he was crucial to the way Sunderland were able to manage the closing stages of the game and limit Hull to few chances in their search for an equaliser.
The Sunderland head coach said the debut was a reward for Connolly's hard work behind the scenes.
“It was good to see him on the pitch," Le Bris said.
"He has worked very well in the last few weeks, and he was ready to play. It’s like a symbol for him, getting back onto the pitch and into the team. He played [at Hull] last season, and he was really looking forward to playing in that game. He worked really well for the team. Sometimes, with a substitute, his behaviour can be a little bit selfish, but with him, that wasn’t the case. It was very clear, he was there to help the team and work for the team. I am sure he will score as soon as possible. The link with the team is very natural because he is a hard worker. He can be a good finisher for us but today it was a battle when he went onto the pitch and he did very well."
Sunderland defender Trai Hume echoed Le Bris's sentiments and hailed Isidor for his contributions.
"I think Wilson been outstanding, particularly the work he's done for the team off the ball," Hume said.
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"He's getting his goals as well, he's started really well as Eliezer did. They're both working for the team and that's benefiting all of us. Aaron was excellent when he came on in helping us manage the game, slowing it down and winning us fouls. That came with the experience he has, I thought we needed that when he came on and he delivered."
Connolly could be in line for more minutes when Sunderland face Luton Town on Wednesday night.