Sunderland's Coleman Hails 'Good Lad' Callum McManaman & Backs Winger to Improve After Bad Season

Chris Coleman still sees a lot of untapped potential in Callum McManaman and has backed the Sunderland winger to prove his worth for the club.

Despite a less than magnificent first campaign on Wearside, Sunderland manager Coleman believes McManaman will become a long-term success under his leadership.

McManaman has struggled this season, lacking a cutting edge and failing to link up with his teammates effectively. His distribution in the final third has often been substandard, and the winger has only found the net once this season.

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Chris Coleman is keeping faith with the winger though, as said as quoted by the Sunderland Echo: “He is a really good lad, he hasn’t always started, but nevertheless his attitude in training is first class, he always wants the team to do well.

“He has a genuine love for the game, he wants to play football, I was pleased for him. It is hard to play in that position when you haven’t had so many games there’s a lot of running, he affected the game for us. For what we want to build, it is mentalities like his, more and more of that.”

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McManaman has just one year left on his contract and faces serious competition for the right wing spot from Lynden Gooch and Joel Asoro. 

With the club facing back to back relegations, McManaman will have one final chance to fulfil the potential he once showed under Roberto Martinez.

Since his breakthrough campaign in 2012/2013 McManaman has struggled for form at a number of clubs. Now at the age of 26, the player really needs to find a foothold in this Sunderland team, while he still has the support of his manager.