John Mensah has recovered from injury at set to play for his club on Saturday and believes the Premier League will suit his Ghana team-mate Asamoah Gyan down to the ground – and admits it was only a matter of time before his ‘shadow’ followed him to Sunderland.
Gyan’s £13m move to Sunderland on transfer deadline day reunited the pair for the THIRD time in six years, with the striker following centre-back Mensah to Modena in Italy and then French club Rennes before arriving on Wearside.
Now the pair – who helped Ghana reach the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa this summer – will line up in the red-and-white stripes of Sunderland and Mensah is convinced Gyan will be a hit over here.
Mensah smiles: “I tell him ‘why is it you keep following me around?’ It seems as though wherever I go, he’ll suddenly turn up! Asamoah is a really good player – he has proved that already.
“But he can go on to become even better and I think Sunderland is a good choice for him because I know his strengths, and I think they will suit the strengths of the side we have here.
“He has a great mentality, he wants to succeed so much.
“We have a good squad here and everyone will get chances this season, so players don’t have to worry too much about being in or out of the side. Chances to play will come.
“It will not be easy for Asamoah because foreign players do need time to adjust on many occasions, but he does have the advantages of speaking excellent English and of having a friend here, in myself.
“He will make plenty of friends, though, very soon because that’s the way Asamoah is, and I’m delighted Sunderland have got him in.â€
Gyan hopes that Mensah, who is in his second season on loan with the Black Cats from French side Lyon, will eventually join him full-time on Wearside.
He said: “Whenever I find a club I want to go to, I get there and John Mensah’s already got there, it’s just that he’s rarely there for long!
“I’m sure John will be around a long time at Sunderland though. I know he loves it here and wants to stay. I also know how good a player he is, and that Sunderland will want to hold on to him.â€
“Fair play to the owner.
There has been huge investment over last three years, not just my 12 months but the last three years.
“We need time. We have invested in the squad, which I believe is the youngest in the Premier League, which is a conscious effort and we need time to settle down.
“The owner has played his part. He has transformed it and now it is about time we paid him back.â€
With Michael Turner ruled out through injury, John Mensah is in line to start alongside Titus Bramble at Wigan in defence, while Andy Reid is in contention for a place in the match-day squad after training for two weeks.
But goalkeeper Craig Gordon remains a few weeks away from a comeback, with Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet expected to play until the end of the month at the earliest.