Josh Scowen understands that he needs to be patient at Sunderland, but is desperate to get more game time and help the club to promotion.
The midfielder joined from QPR in January and had to wait until the last game against Bristol Rovers - a 2-0 defeat - to make his first start for Phil Parkinson’s side.
That’s largely been down to the solid form of George Dobson and Max Power, although the midfielder did himself no harm in his full debut, with Parkinson revealing his sympathy for the 26-year-old after his team-mates massively under-performed.
Whether Scowen would have done enough to keep his place in the Sunderland team remains to be seen, with the season now suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. Terrible timing in particular for Scowen, who has to show patience again before he can get his season going again.
The former QPR man said: “I look at our midfield two over the last few weeks and I have been really impressed. George and Max have both been superb since I came to the club and if they keep playing at that level, it will be really hard for me to break into the team.
“While it is frustrating sometimes to be on the outside looking in, I am hoping that it will spur me on to train harder and force myself into the starting XI. When the time comes, I need to be ready to go again.
“I have never seen the league look this tight and you find yourself checking results after we have played to see what has happened. In that sense, we are like fans.”
Scowen has more reason than one to want to achieve success at Sunderland.
In joining from Championship side QPR, he signed a short-term deal and is hoping to secure a permanent deal.
And despite not making the start he might have hoped to, he admits he has no regrets over his decision to leave the London-based club, where he’d been playing regularly in the first half of the season.
“I was at Barnsley for a couple of years, so I am used to the weather!” he said of settling in the north east.
“I really like this part of the world and my partner and I both talked about how much we enjoyed our time in Sheffield, so we had no qualms with leaving London to come here.
“When I was at QPR I didn’t really look to move, but I was told I could leave. When Sunderland came calling for me I knew I couldn’t turn the opportunity down to join such a big club.
“I played 20 games for QPR this season and I was enjoying my football there. I loved my time there but when these decisions come up you have to make a choice.
“Sunderland are a massive club who really shouldn’t be at this level, and I have been brought in to help get them back where they need to be.”
