Former Sunderland winger Jermain Lens is today interviewed by Voetbal International, and recalled a very specific period he lived with the Black Cats.
The 36-year-old was invited to talk about Dick Advocaat, the coach who is nicknamed his ‘father’ in football.
Lens played under the manager at AZ Alkmaar, PSV, Sunderland and Fernabahce, as well as getting called up by him for the Dutch national team.
It turns out that the most frustrating experience may have been at the Black Cats, because right after Lens was bought by the club, Advocaat left the job.
“Dick left Sunderland after eight games. It kind of felt like he had left me there and that’s why he brought me to Fenerbahce a year later,” Lens told VI.
Advocaat joined Sunderland in March 2015, with Lens arriving in July that year. It was at the start of October that the coach left, with a record of four wins, six defeats and nine losses in 19 games.
His early exit surely had some impact on Lens’ future at the club, as he only stayed there until the end of the summer.
That wasn’t the last time they worked together, though, as they also met again at the Dutch national team in the Euro qualifiers in 2017.
