Sunderland came from behind to win a point against Middlesbrough on Sunday in a hotly-contested North East derby as Leo Hjelde made his debut after leaving Leeds – and Sunderland fans reacted.
Hjelde, 20, had been frozen out at Leeds by Daniel Farke after starting on the opening day – but being hooked at half-time in the 2-2 draw against Cardiff. He’s only played in the Carabao Cup for us, since.
So, it came as no surprise that he was off in January. Perhaps, the only surprising bit about the move is that Sunderland paid £2m to sign him permanently. It might have been more likely, to see a loan deal.
But Michael Beale brought the Norwegian to Wearside, and he has signed a contract until the summer of 2028. He was handed a start on Sunday, with Beale throwing the former Celtic man into the fire pit.
A rival clash against Luke Ayling and Sam Greenwood, which saw Jack Clarke come up against Ayling. Middlesbrough took the lead at The Riverside, Marcus Forss scoring for Michael Carrick’s Boro side.
Sunderland fans react as Leo Hjelde shines at Middlesbrough
But late on, Boro goalkeeper Tom Glover allowed Nazariy Rusyn’s dipping half-volley to creep under his body – the game ending 1-1. Hjelde saw out the entire game for Sunderland, after being handed a start.
Sunderland fans took to Twitter after the game to discuss Hjelde’s display in red and white for the first time. Many were of the opinion that Hjelde was great, one fan even claiming he was Sunderland’s “best”.
It was almost as if there was a feeling of surprise among Sunderland fans to see Hjelde play to the level he showed against Boro on Sunday. Mostly, because of his lack of game time over the last few months.
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