Ovie Ejaria insists he has no regrets at swapping the comfort of Anfield for a Championship relegation scrap.

The Liverpool player is currently on loan at Sunderland after switching to the Stadium of Light in the January transfer window. His first five games have brought just two points, but he insists he has no regrets about joining Chris Coleman's ailing side.

"This experience will make me strong," he was quoted by the Northern Echo. “At Liverpool, at the beginning of the season, we were doing well with the 23s and sitting top of the league, winning loads, then I came here and it’s been a lot different, coming into a relegation battle."

Sunderland are currently four points adrift of safety and face a crucial tie with Preston this weekend. Ejaria remains focused on the job in hand, believing there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

"It’s a test mentally for anyone, definitely, particularly when you are young. Hopefully we can turn it round because there are games left to achieve what we need to," said the midfielder.

"Possibly it can still have a happy ending here for me. If we can get the wins until the end of the season then it will be one to look back on as a good experience. Even if it doesn’t go well between now and then it will still have been a big learning curve.”

The 20-year old has eight Liverpool appearances to his name, twice coming off the bench in the Premier League. He also played three times in last season's FA Cup, a run that ended in elimination by Wolves.

The Verdict

Ejaria is a talented lad, that is for sure, but I always have a concern about loan players in relegation battles. If Sunderland do go down, Ejaria returns to Liverpool and writes it off as a learning curve, but what of the club he leaves behind? I hope for their sake his class shines through and they can somehow pull themselves out of the mire. Sadly, I don't think it is likely.