Sunderland were delighted to be able to bring Jermain Defoe back to the club for a reunion in League One but the player has not made a real impact yet, nor has he started a game.

The former Rangers man has instead been limited to cameos off the bench and when he has come onto the field, he hasn't really set the game alight. Now, boss Alex Neil has revealed to the Northern Echo that there has been some difficulty in getting the best out of the forward due to his lack of match sharpness.

It's understandable that the 39-year-old might not be up to scratch considering his lack of gametime before his move to the Stadium of Light. Before coming on for an 18 minute stint against Doncaster at the beginning of February, his previous action had come all the way back in November.

 

 

It means there has been over a two month gap between games for the player and means his fitness is not quite at peak level yet to be able to compete regularly in the third tier. It explains why he has been used sparingly and also why he hasn't been put into the starting eleven yet - and new boss Alex Neil admits he is in 'good nick' but just isn't match fit.

Speaking to the Northern Echo about Defoe, he said: "I think it’s probably frustrating for Jermain because he’s not come in at full fitness.

"What you need to bear in mind as well is his age. If you look at Jermain, he’s a fine specimen in terms of him being in good nick and naturally looking after himself. He’s not carrying an ounce of fat. But he’s not got any game sharpness.

"It’s really difficult for him to him to come in and show what we know he’s always been capable of over the course of his career.

"He’s not getting any younger, and at the moment, that match sharpness is difficult for him because he’s not been playing."

The Verdict

Jermain Defoe might be getting into the latter stages of his career and could hang his boots up soon but that isn't to say that the striker cannot offer Sunderland anything.

Everyone who has seen the former Tottenham and Portsmouth man knows what he is capable of and he was still scoring goals for Rangers, managing seven in 22 for the SPL side. The issue is just the time he has spent sat on the sidelines.

It means that he has some catching up to do, with the Black Cats playing games thick and fast in both midweek and at the weekend too. The more minutes he can get and the more training he can take part in, the quicker he will be back to peak fitness.

For now, it looks like cameos off the bench are the order of the day but Sunderland fans will surely see him back to his best and potentially starting games before the season is out.