Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has challenged Jeremain Lens to prove his quality.
Allardyce says Lens will be given an opportunity “down the line†and that he will have to be ready to make the most of it.
“I think Jeremain overall – like they all have to – has to lift his level up in terms of work-rate,†he told the Evening Chronicle.
“There is no doubt at this level of football the size of the work-rate needed.
“With each position, I have the levels of an elite performer and an average performer of a Premier League player.
“It’s easy for me to monitor.
“It’s not Jeremain, but some of our players have been told that they haven’t reached the average and I expect them to reach that average very quickly. In finding the right team, Jeremain has had the knock-back.
“But he’ll have an opportunity somewhere down the line that he’s going to have to grab."
Source: tribalfootball.com