Julio Arca has encouraged Sunderland fans to give Jewison Bennette time after a difficult first season at the club.
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, the former midfielder was full of praise for the Costa Rican after he had been brought in to help him settle down.
Bennette joined Sunderland from Herediano last summer and was thrown in at the deep end – moving to a completely different country on his own at only 18 years old, while barely knowing a word of English.
The teenager showed sparks of promise as he netted a dramatic late equaliser against Watford in his second game for the club, however his game time deteriorated until his season came to an end after dislocating his shoulder in March.
Arca has since been helping his fellow South American adapt to life on Wearside.
“He’s got a good manager who is going to help him develop and that’s the main thing,” Arca said.
“You need those kind of people to help him out. He’s signed a long contract so he has time for it to work out.
“He doesn’t speak much of the language, I know he’s getting better now. He has some family over here helping him out and is a player who has a lot of potential.
“They have to be patient with him but he’s a really good player, quick, great touch and he can do well.
“Last season he had players in front of him who did really well and it’s one of those things of waiting for the right opportunity and the right time.”
There was a lot of pressure on Jewison Bennette to perform at Sunderland
The success of other young players at Sunderland last season meant a lot of fans naturally expected just as much from Jewison Bennette.
The Black Cats brought in the likes of Amad Diallo, Edouard Michut and Abdoullah Ba and they all impressed at stages of the season, however it is still very different for Bennette.
Diallo, Michut and Ba had all featured in European football before, with the former two appearing for two of the biggest clubs in the world in Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
To play in Costa Rica is a completely different environment for Bennette and it was always going to take him a lot longer to adapt.
While it still seems unlikely that he will be ready for regular first team football, the 19-year-old could look a much improved player come August.