Sunderland are riding a wave at the moment, and Wilson Isidor is the man sitting at the crest of that wave after his recent run of good form.
The Frenchman arrived on loan at Sunderland in the summer, and has had quite the impact under Regis Le Bris this season.
Wilson Isidor has been such a success, in fact, that Sunderland made his loan move a permanent one last week, in a deal worth a reported £5m.
The striker bagged his tenth goal of the season in the Tees-Wear derby on Monday, and was one of the best players on the night, further endearing himself to the Sunderland fans.
Wilson Isidor loves the Sunderland fans, he’d do anything for them
Speaking to ITV Sport after the game, Isidor explained how important it was to get the win against the Black Cats’ rivals, and how he wanted to give back to the fans.
He said: “We had to really concentrate before the game, we really wanted to win here. We wanted to take six points against them, it’s important for the title race. Maybe that’s why my emotions were so much, but nothing is too much for this club and these fans.
“We know that football is highs and lows. I missed the penalties, this happens but I’ve bounced back and kept my chin up, and the fans helped me. They are amazing. That’s why it was so easy to sign that contract. I love it here.”
Isidor spoke about how he feels at ‘home’ at Sunderland and how that was a big factor behind the move. But now, he is only focused on moving forward and delivering something even bigger for the club.
“I just want to score and help the team win, that’s most important now,” he added. “I think everybody knows, we are not shy, we want automatic promotion. We know the race is tough, there are good teams, but our group is special.”
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Wilson Isidor is fast-becoming a Sunderland icon
Clearly, the love goes both ways between Isidor and the Sunderland faithful. He has settled in so quickly at the Stadium of the Light, and the manner in which the fans have embraced him is key to that.
Isidor’s antics at full-time at the Riverside on Monday will have gone a long way to improving that relationship even further, with the forward celebrating the win by parading his shirt around on a ‘Boro corner flag in front of the travelling fans.
| Statistics | Wilson Isidor 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 27 |
| Minutes played | 2,081 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Shots on target | 45.2% |
| xG | 10.6 |
| Shot-creating actions/90 | 1.60 |
He’s a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, always puts in maximum effort, and regularly delivers on the pitch, too. Fans couldn’t ask for more, and there’s every reason to believe that Isidor will just keep getting better and better.
For £5m, Sunderland have bagged one of the most exciting and consistent strikers in the Championship. Hopefully, he can fire them to the Premier League and write himself into Sunderland folklore in the process.