Sunderland manager Mike Dodds believes there is one player at the Stadium of Light who has got ‘huge potential’.
Sunderland ended a run of seven Championship matches without a win by comfortably beating Cardiff City 2-0 on Good Friday.
The Black Cats have endured a torrid time since sacking Tony Mowbray, with Michael Beale’s spell unravelling into a nightmare before Mike Dodds took the reigns on an interim basis and has ultimately struggled.
Sunderland have dropped like a stone down the Championship table, falling out of the play-off picture completely with fears of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Those fears were diminished by a solid performance in South Wales, with the Wearsiders looking back to their best. Jobe Bellingham was a man-possessed as a striker, bagging his seventh goal of the season, while Adil Aouchiche grabbed a goal and an assist from attacking midfield.
The result and Bellingham’s performance weren’t the only positives from the game as Dodds welcomed Aji Alese back into the squad.
Aji Alese returns to Sunderland squad against Cardiff City
Alese has only made three appearances for Sunderland this season due to injury setbacks, last appearing in a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town in January.
Despite his lack of involvement, the club see him as a huge part of their future, rewarding him with a new contract that expires in 2027.
The 23-year-old capped off that good news by returning to the first-team squad for only the third time in a Championship match this season, such as been the extent of his injury troubles.
Appearing on the bench against Cardiff, the left-back – who they signed from West Ham in 2022 – will be hoping the worst of his injury troubles are behind him and he can get back to his best form.
On his return from a previous injury in January last year, Tony Mowbray lauded him as “amazing” for producing a dominant defensive display against Middlesbrough.
Now, current manager Dodds shares a similar view towards the talented defender.
Mike Dodds believes Aji Alese has ‘huge potential’
Alese may have suffered from several unfortunate injury setbacks, but the club haven’t forgotten his talent by giving him a new contract.
Dodds would have been one of the key figures pushing for him to agree on fresh terms. The 37-year-old has waxed lyrical over his potential and believes he will play a prominent role at the club.
“Aji’s a great example of the positive side of our recruitment, an U23 footballer who came in and has done really well for us,” Dodds told We Are Sunderland. “The frustration for all of us is that we haven’t been able to see it over a consistent period of time.
“I don’t think that’s anyone’s fault, but he’s a huge part of the future of the football club. He’s got huge potential and it’s our and my responsibility to keep pushing him so that he can reach his potential.”
With Dennis Cirkin and Niall Huggins still sidelined, Alese can use the last seven games to make that left-back spot his heading into pre-season.