Roker Roundup: Joel Asoro comments on his time at Sunderland & Will Grigg set for MK Dons debut

Asoro on ‘warm and kind’ Sunderland

Joel Asoro completed a permanent move to Swedish club Djurgarden yesterday, signing a four-year deal with the Allsvenskan outfit.

Talking to his new club’s official website after the move was confirmed, Asoro went over his career so far and reserved praise for ‘warm and kind’ Sunderland, the club he made his senior debut for:

I moved abroad to Sunderland when I was 15 years old. A warm and kind club that took care of me very well and where it went well for me.

I was there for three years ago, so I moved to Swansea and was there for a year and then went on loan to Groningen. After that I went on loan to Genoa, came back again and now it’s Djurgården that counts.

I have gained a lot of experience and developed a lot as both a player and a person when I played abroad. You learn a lot about the cultures in the countries as well, so it has been instructive for me to go through this whole period.

Following his move to Swansea City, Asoro spent time on-loan with Groningen and Genoa and it was those loan moves that spurred his return to Sweden, according to Djurgarden’s sports director Bosse Andersson [speaking with djurgardsfamiljen]:

It is based on the fact that Joel was crystal clear that he did not want to be loaned. He’s been there before. He wanted security and a base. That there should be a long-term perspective.

Coincidence and timing also come into play. Swansea have probably discussed larger sums before. Had the “covid” not come, he would probably have remained in Europe. Investing in players is harder now. But we can offer security.

Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Grigg set for MK Dons debut

Sunderland striker Will Grigg will be in the MK Dons squad tonight for the first time since signing for the club on-loan on deadline day, as they travel to Rochdale.

Russell Martin is delighted to have Grigg available after the 29-year-old was ineligible to play the back-to-back games against his former club and the Dons boss told the MK Citizen that his new signing has looked sharp in training:

It’ll be nice to have Will in the squad tomorrow and available, he’s shown how much sharpness he has, his finishing has been excellent. He’s ready to play and he’s desperate to play for MK Dons and gives us a good problem.

It’s really good to have a bit of strength in that department now, and Griggy comes in the squad for tomorrow.

His new club captain, Dean Lewington, was also excited for Grigg to return to the club and says such was his form in training that it left his team-mates with smiles on their faces:

It’s nice to have him back! I got on really well with Griggy, and he was someone I kept in touch with on his travels across the country to so it;s really nice to have him back.

As soon as he came in, he lifted the group because he has that quality. In training, everyone had a bit of a smile on their faces because he finishes so well and everyone says ‘oh, he’s not bad is he?!’

He’s great to have around the place, he’s a funny boy, and he adds to what we’ve got here.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images