A Sunderland loanee managed to pull off an incredible goal at the weekend that he was never able to do last season.
When Regis Le Bris took on the top job at Sunderland in the summer, it was always going to be a challenge for the French boss in looking to move on the deadwood.
It was clear that Le Bris was willing to decrease the size of his squad, which meant that several players that were in-and-around the first-team during the 2023/24 season were then far from certain to be part of the new boss’ plans.
The likes of Pierre Ekwah and Timothee Pembele were sanctioned loan moves back to France, whilst attacker Luis Hemir was also loaned out. The Portuguese striker couldn’t notch a single goal last season at Championship level, but his most recent accomplishment suggests that he may have turned his career around.
Sunderland loanee Luis Hemir scores wonderful Juventus goal
21-year-old striker Hemir joined Sunderland ahead of the 2023/24 season with bags of potential and goalscoring promise after previously being somewhat prolific at youth level with Portuguese side Benfica.
However, it is safe to say that his move to Wearside didn’t quite work out, with him being unable to find the back of the net in 23 Championship appearances, leaving him looking ‘isolated’ up front.
Thankfully for the Portuguese youngster, he seems to be back on form after his loan move to Juventus, where he currently leads the line for their next gen side in Italy’s third division.
Hemir has now bagged three goals in his last five games, including his most recent again Catania, which saw him shift the ball onto his left foot from outside the box, and rifle it past goalkeeper Alessandro Farroni.
Luis Hemir form could be sign of turning around Black Cats career
The deal sanctioned by Sunderland on the summer deadline day saw Hemir move to Juventus with an option to buy for the Italian outfit.
Whilst there is no indication over the decision that Juventus may make over the attacker, if he does return to Wearside, he may not quite be first-team ready, but there is still a chance that he can turn around his poor start at the club.
His experience playing against senior players in Italy, whilst at a lower level, will be crucial for his confidence when it comes to playing at Championship level.
It could be the case that, if Hemir returned from Italy, he could be utilised in a lower league EFL move on loan, something that will prove to be a real litmus test for whether he is suited to the English game.