‘Needs to be in the first team’: Some Sunderland fans wowed by 20-year-old’s display for U23s yesterday

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A number of Sunderland fans have waxed lyrical about Benji Kimpioka’s goalscoring exploits for the Black Cats Under-23s on Monday afternoon, urging Phil Parkinson to name him in the first team.

The 20-year-old is one of the Academy of Light’s brightest graduates in recent years, having joined the Wearside outfit from Sweden’s IK Sirius in 2016 and progressing through the ranks.

To date, Kimpioka has made 14 senior appearances for Sunderland, scoring three goals, but is yet to feature for the first team this term.

The Sunderland gem didn’t take part in the Black Cats pre-season programme as contract talks between player and club continued.

These discussions finally came to an end when Kimpioka penned a new one-year contract – with the club holding a 12-month option – at the start of October.

On Monday, Kimpioka featured for the U23s in the 5-3 win over Fulham and netted his second brace in three games, having also scored two in the 4-0 hammering of Newcastle U23s.

Here is what some Sunderland fans made of the young talent’s performance:

Josh Hawkes also bagged a brace in the triumph over Fulham, with Patrick Almond also on the scoresheet, while Elliot Embleton played 45 minutes on his comeback from the thigh injury that has kept him out since the summer.