Sunderland completed their second major signing of the summer on Thursday as they brought in Alan Browne on a free transfer.
In the transfer market so far this summer, the Black Cats have been fairly quiet. Simon Moore had been their only incoming as the Coventry man joined the club on a free transfer at the end of June.
However, it now seems that the Stadium of Light faithful’s patience has finally paid off after they announced the capture of Alan Browne.
The midfielder is a Preston Legend after progressing through their academy and going on to make over 400 appearances in all competitions.
Now, in his first interview as a Sunderland player, he has already highlighted a key attribute he can bring to the squad.
Alan Browne plans on adding experience and leadership to Sunderland
During his time at Preston, Browne became one of the club’s most experienced players. In the 2020/21 season, he was appointed the club’s captain, a role he held until he departed.
He is also a regular at international level, earning 35 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
With Sunderland’s first team having many young and upcoming talents, Browne is now aiming to add his leadership skills to the team.
“It’s a big change for me after being at Preston for such a long time, but it’s brilliant to be here,” he said. “Sunderland is one of the biggest clubs in England and I can’t wait to get started. I captained Preston for some time, so hopefully I can bring those leadership qualities to the Stadium of Light and add to what is a very talented squad.”
Read more: Who Sunderland are set to face in their 2024 pre-season.
Alan Browne is a stunning Sunderland signing
Browne is exactly what Sunderland needed. Despite the strategy to bring in young and upcoming players, experience is still needed to guide the youngsters.
This is what Browne offers. The Republic of Ireland international has mainly played in the Championship barring a brief spell in League One at the start of his career where he helped Preston win the playoffs.
With nearly 400 appearances in the second tier under his belt, there are few players available with this amount of experience.
Browne is now likely to add a dynamic Sunderland has long missed which should help push the club further up the table.