Sunderland -midfielder Jobe Bellingham sat down with Sky Sports EFL reporter Jonathan Oakes to look back at his season so far …
Do you feel that you really performed it this season? “Yes, sure. I think, with the manager who comes in, he helped us all to do ourselves and the team really good.”
What were your first impressions of Regis Le Bris? “I certainly realized quite early that he was really calculated in his work and he likes to analyze and he gives you a lot of feedback, which is really good as a player because you want to know where you stand.
“You want to know how you can improve and get better all the time. He is a really calming figure to also have on the touchline. Probably a contrast with the fans in the stadium, but he is really calm, which gives us a lot of freedom to express ourselves.”
First goal of the season [against Derby]Talk to us through this … “I just saw the ball popping up at me and I thought of my first touch, and that was it. I thought about getting the ball out of my feet and shooting.”
It seems that it can have a deflection in that perspective, but it isn't it? “No chance, no!”
Are you always looking to try to find the chance to have a chance? “I am not really to be honest. My mother always tells me that I have to shoot more.”
The Illan Meslier error when you played Leeds. What are your memories of that? “I didn't think much to be honest. I just ran to the fans in the corner. It was really chaos. No one with whom I spoke had any idea what had happened until we had seen the repetition.”
Another goal here against Oxford, header this time. Tell us about this … “Well, head is something I tried to improve, to be so long. I hope I stopped [growing] now!”
First red card vs qpr. How do you look back on this? “Well, it's definitely a red card. I checked if he was good and took my medicine. I apologized with the boys and I got out of the field.”
The Swansea -Comeback on your return after suspension? “We were not good in the first half of this game and then we were really locked up and focused in the second half. Then a great goal scored there.”
So you set up the second, the equalizer, and then you will score the third. “It was the least I could do to be honest.”
Do you think of the four teams at the top that you have underestimated the most? “Many people have a lot to say about our age and lack of experience, you could say, but I don't see it that way. I think we have a lot of experience for a young team and we also have a lot of character and fearlessness.”
The late victory against Boro, was it a statement from you? “Yes, certainly. Middlesbrough is a real, really good team. They play really good football and they try to play the middle of you, what they did for that first goal. It was probably not one of our best performance, but we were decisive. In games like this you always have to find a way to win.”
What about this promotional race? “The way I see it are three of the top teams that compete for promotion to one of the best competitions in the world. It is actually very healthy for the team, because it keeps us something to chase, keeps our standards high in the training field in the training field and then in games.
“It's great for all of us and hopefully we want to end the season as high as possible, give everything to the end and we will see where that brings us.”
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