Sunderland loanee Nectarios Triantis continued his fine spell in Scotland after helping Hibernian to a win vs Celtic.
At the start of the 2024/25 Championship season, Sunderland sanctioned several loans away from the club after Regis Le Bris made it clear that he wished to work with a slimlined squad.
The current crop of loanees have endured differing success rates away from Wearside, but none have quite been able to match defensive midfielder Nectarios Triantis.
Joining Hibernian in the summer after the 21-year-old notched a short stint at the Ediburgh-based club in the latter stages of the 2023/24 season, the Australian has played a crucial part in their terrific season, notching seven goal contributions in 23 games.
Hibernian fans have rated Triantis so far during his tenure at the club, and that has continued as they defeated Scottish giants Celtic 2-1, with the Sunderland loanee playing a pivotal role in the victory.
Sunderland loanee Nectarios Triantis given ‘great’ verdict as Hibernian beat Celtic
This weekend, Sunderland youngster Triantis was once again a difference maker for Hibs, this time against an in-form Celtic side, managed by Brendan Rodgers, that hadn’t suffered a defeat in the league since a 3-0 hammering away at Rangers on January 2nd.
In the 2-1 win at home to Celtic, Triantis notched an assist but also played an immense all-round game. The Scottish media was very complimentary of the Australian as Edinburgh News wrote that he managed a ‘sublime assist’ whilst also notably showing ‘positional sense’ that has come on ‘leaps and bounds’.
Statistically, his defensive abilities were brilliant, as, per SofaScore, he managed four interceptions, four duels won, and drew in two fouls.
Nectarios Triantis absence from Black Cats squad has caused major Regis Le Bris worry
Before the 2024/25 Championship campaign kicked off, it was clear that Le Bris didn’t believe that Triantis was quite up to the standard that he wanted from a defensive midfielder, one of the reasons why he was given a Scottish Premiership loan.
But there is no doubt that his presence has been missed in recent weeks, with Sunderland summer signing Salis Abdul Samed not quite reaching his expected heights, whilst Chris Rigg has looked jaded in the centre of the park. The latter has been a concern about several players for Le Bris, which he said after the recent defeat to Hull City.
Someone like Triantis would be perfect in defensive midfield for Sunderland, especially with the tired and limited options currently available to the French boss. Whilst he may not have been championship-ready at the start of the season, shining against a Champions League outfit in Celtic shows that he can certainly match the levels now, and he will feel like a new signing in the wake of the 2025/26 campaign.