How will Jewison Bennette’s World Cup experience impact his Sunderland form?

Gav says…

I hope so.

Being hauled off after Costa Rica got scudded in the first game can’t have been great for his confidence, but they were better in their second game against Japan and Jewi’s role was more limited, coming on from the bench and doing a decent job.

Being an eighteen year-old, I can’t see how the experience will be anything other than beneficial, but Jewi has lots of work to do before he’s proven himself at Sunderland. I place him in the same category as Edouard Michut, Abdoullah Ba and Trai Hume in that respect, and they need to now start really showing why they’re here.

It’s probably harder with Jewi because his manager has said a few times that the language barrier is an issue, plus one of our best players in Jack Clarke is keeping him out of the team.

However, if he works hard his chance will come and it’s then up to him to take it.

Hopefully the buzz of having represented his country at a major tournament gives him the lift needed to kick on from here.

Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images

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Malc Dugdale says…

I can’t see how the World Cup can be anything other than good for Bennette.

One of the reasons often cited for players not doing quite as well at our home stadium is the size of the crowd and their expectations.

For a player still in his teens, running out in front of the Stadium of Light crowd can be quite overwhelming, and even more so if we’re behind in a game or not playing well.

Soon, Bennette will return from playing on the biggest stage in world football, and at his age that simply has to help him at club level, and to take the challenges in his stride as develops in the red and white stripes.

Admittedly, he isn’t playing for a team who are likely to proceed to the knockout stages in Qatar, but he can still learn many lessons from playing against some of the best footballers in the world.

There is a risk of injury with him playing for Costa Rica while his teammates rest and recover, and I very much hope that won’t be something we end up worrying about. However, the positives for such a young and exciting player outweigh the negatives, in my view.

I can’t wait for him to return and to see him out on the pitch again.

He’ll be a better player for his experience in Qatar, and his team still have a chance of going further, so I’ll be semi-Costa-Rican for a little while yet!

Photo by Mohammad Karamali/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

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Phil West says…

I think it’ll help Bennette enormously.

He’s taken a leap of faith and travelled thousands of miles from home to make a career in European football, and he’s doing so as a full international. He clearly has talent and huge potential, and his signing embodied the new way of thinking at the club.

Is he fully developed? No, but that’s fine, and he’s not alone in that sense, so I think patience is going to be key for us as supporters.

When Bennette returns from the World Cup, I really hope he comes back determined to force his way into Tony Mowbray’s plans and to show why we opted to sign him. The thrill of playing for your country on football’s biggest stage is something that, at such a young age, can really provide you with a springboard, and I see no reason why that can’t be the case with Bennette.

During his time at the club so far, he’s shown flashes of potential and his goal against Watford was superb, and he needs to continue to work hard, integrate himself into his new way of life, and continue to learn his trade.

He’s got a lot to give, and I can’t wait to see how his season continues to pan out.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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