Joel Asoro has suggested he might have made a mistake in leaving Sunderland for Swansea last summer.
Black Cats boss Jack Ross managed to convince many players to remain at the club when he first arrived at the club in the summer of 2018, as they prepared for the season in League One after back-to-back relegations.
Young Swedish international Joel Asoro was one such player he had hoped to convince to remain at the Stadium of Light, believing the pacy forward could become the focal point of Sunderland's attack and guide them straight back to the Championship.
Instead, Asoro, who graduated from the club's academy having moved to Wearside aged 15, decided moving on was best and a move to Swansea eventually materialised.
However, in another example of when the grass isn't always greener, Asoro struggled for game time at the Liberty Stadium and has this season found himself on loan at Dutch side Groningen.
And reflecting on his frustrations last season, Asoro suggested to Fox Sports in Netherlands that me made the wrong decision to leave Sunderland.
He said: "Last season I didn’t really play much. I’m not really happy about it, but it is what it is.
“Sometimes it’s the right step, sometimes maybe not. But you learn from it.
“I wanted to play and get more football.
“I knew the coach [at Groningen] already so I knew the way they wanted to play, like direct football and stuff like that. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Asoro,20, is yet to make his debut for the Eredivisie side - an unused sub in all three games since his arrival.
He'd become a regular by the time he departed Sunderland and was a rare bright spark of their relegation campaign from the Championship, which is why many were so keen to keep him at the club.
Coming through the academy, he made his first team debut for the club under David Moyes in the Premier League against Middlesbrough.
Reflecting on his time with the Black Cats, he said: "I moved when I was 15, which is quite young.
“It was a good opportunity for me to get some good football.
“It was hard, but I had my Mum with me which made it a bit easier to get into it.
"[My debut] It was fantastic - I will never forget that day. I was so happy.
“I haven’t got words to describe it, when I remember it I just keep smiling.”
Asoro would make 33 appearances for Sunderland, scoring three goals in that time.
