“Nine minutes of Football played at first team and now deployed to U21 League 2” Sunderland Old termer agonizes not being loved by Regis Le Bris and could now force a move out of Stadium of Light .
Sunderland’s strong start to the season continued on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, keeping them at the top of the Championship. Luton initially took the lead through Elijah Adebayo, but two quick second-half goals from Chris Rigg and Romaine Mundle secured all three points for Regis Le Bris’ side.
“I’m proud of the team spirit and the support from the fans, because tonight we needed everyone—it was a tough battle,” Le Bris said after the match.
One player who particularly impressed the French manager was defender Chris Mepham. The 26-year-old, on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, delivered another solid performance at the heart of Sunderland’s defense, which didn’t go unnoticed by Le Bris.
“Chris was ready for this battle,” said Le Bris. “He wasn’t alone—we needed everyone. It’s about personality and aggressiveness.”
Jewison Bennette’s Struggles Under Le Bris
While Mepham and other Sunderland players are thriving, it’s a different story for Jewison Bennette. The 20-year-old Costa Rican international, who joined Sunderland from Herediano in 2022, has struggled to make an impact. This season, he’s played just nine minutes of first-team football and has mostly been relegated to Sunderland’s U-21s in Premier League 2.
With limited game time, media in Bennette’s home country are reporting that his move to Sunderland has led to him being “completely forgotten” by Costa Rica’s national team. Despite being part of Costa Rica’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, Bennette hasn’t featured for his national side since November 2023, when he played against Panama in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals. Reports suggest his chances of being called back are slim, as he has gone from “fleeting growth to stagnation” at Sunderland.
Bennette’s Time at Sunderland
Bennette’s Sunderland career started promisingly, scoring in his second appearance for the club against Watford. However, he soon found himself distanced from the first team, leading to a loan spell at Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki in January 2024.
His stint in Greece quickly turned sour. After making just two appearances, Bennette was dropped. According to the winger, he was left out after raising concerns about Aris breaching his contract.
“When I arrived at Aris, I started two games, but after that, they had to pay my salary, housing, and car. I complained to Sunderland, and they were upset, so they started leaving me out,” Bennette told *Teletica* in May. He added about Aris, “I had to dip into my savings to cover my expenses—house and car. They were irresponsible.”