OPINION
When Kazaiah Sterling was sent out on loan to Sunderland in January, Tottenham fans must have been rubbing their hands in glee.
The young striker has been steadily making a name for himself with Spurs’ youth system, and it felt like the perfect opportunity for him to make that step up to regular senior football at a club with a fantastic infrastructure and a decent chance of tasting success this season.
Now, however, several weeks down the line, that early optimism surrounding Sterling’s move must have dissipated completely.
The 20-year-old has made just one substitute appearance since moving to Wearside, totalling a paltry 31 minutes, and was left out of the Black Cats’ match day squad again on Saturday as they saw off Plymouth Argyle.
Admittedly, Jack Ross’ side did well to recruit extra bodies towards the end of the January window, and whereas Sterling will have considered himself as a decent option when he initially signed, he now finds himself behind the likes of fellow new boy Will Grigg, but regardless, Spurs should be worried by his lack of progress.
It’s clearly not an age thing. Up until last month, the Wearsiders were relying almost exclusively on 20-year-old Josh Maja for goals. Subsequently, the issue must lie in the player’s ability to impress on the training ground.
At 20, he may still have a lot to learn, but for a player with aspirations of playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, being unable to force your way even onto the bench for a League One side does not bode well.
He still has time to turn things around of course, but right now, the signs are not good for Sterling.