After we had been first linked with Robin Roefs final summer season, I’ll be the primary to confess that I didn’t have a clue who he was, and nor did I understand how extremely he was rated in his homeland and fairly why Sunderland had been so eager to carry him to Wearside as we sought a extra dominant presence between the sticks following promotion to the Premier League.
When he was formally unveiled as a Lads participant, I used to be instantly struck by how shut a resemblance Roefs bore to snowboarding icon and X-Video games hero Shaun White (“Let’s hope he’s obtained nearly as good an aerial sport”, I mused) however even for a comparatively modest charge of £12 million from NEC Nijmegen, it’s honest to say that Roefs’ signing was one of many extra scrutinised of the summer season, not least due to how a lot accountability he must shoulder as our new primary.
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Because it seems, we needn’t have fearful and on Saturday, Roefs was within the highlight once more, saving three penalties as Sunderland noticed off Everton within the FA Cup after a Saturday afternoon slugfest on the Hill-Dickinson Stadium.
After taking the lead by a chic Enzo Le Fée volley and handing over a vigorous and dedicated efficiency, further time and spot kicks would’ve been prevented had we not fallen foul of a referee who clearly earned his diploma by a breakfast cereal promotional marketing campaign, however when it mattered, the Dutchman helped to make sure a really strong Lads’ show wasn’t in useless.
For months, I’ve been ever extra impressed with the best way Roefs has gone about his enterprise and maybe extra importantly, the authority he exudes able that may usually be extra harshly scrutinised than many others.
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Whereas fellow summer season arrivals Senne Lammens and Lucas Perri have usually appeared erratic at Manchester United and Leeds United respectively, Roefs’ sport is marked by composure, sharp reflexes, command of his space and a maturity that makes a mockery of the truth that comparatively talking, he’s nonetheless within the very early levels of his senior profession.
In fact, the genie could be very a lot out of the bottle now and I’ve obtained no doubts that each scout from Turin to Munich shall be holding tabs on Roefs’ progress, however that’s additionally an enormous praise to the atmosphere he’s working inside and the best way he’s creating below the watchful eyes of the Sunderland teaching workers.
Sunderland’s roll name of elite Premier League stoppers is — let’s assume — chequered.
Jordan Pickford left earlier than fulfilling his potential; Craig Gordon was nice however usually hampered by accidents, whereas Simon Mignolet, regardless of a promising stint on Wearside, arguably performed his finest soccer for Liverpool — and that’s earlier than you get to the likes of Costel Pantilimon and League Cup hero Vito Mannone. A different and extremely intriguing combine, to say the least.
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In 1998, Peter Reid zeroed in on a younger Danish prospect from Odense who made the journey throughout the North Sea to hyperlink up with Sunderland forward of our all-conquering 1998/1999 season earlier than establishing himself as a strong and dependable Premier League goalkeeper throughout the years that adopted.
In some ways, at this stage Roefs is additional down the observe than Thomas Sorensen, having not had the good thing about a season in English soccer earlier than making his prime flight bow, and that claims an amazing deal about his character, his single-mindedness and his sheer potential.
Sure, he’s conceded targets he would’ve been disillusioned by, most notably to Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams and Aston Villa’s Matty Money, however the good far outweighs the unhealthy and he’s absolutely solely going to go from power to power — not least as a result of he’s working behind a defence that’s appeared borderline impenetrable at occasions this season, which at all times breeds great confidence in a goalkeeper.
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In fact, when watching Roefs in full flight, it’s laborious to miss the likelihood that in all probability, he gained’t be a Sunderland participant subsequent season if one of many European giants decides {that a} new goalkeeper could be a worthwhile funding, however within the meantime, he’s obtained a fully key function to play for us and if there’s one silver lining to a possible departure, it’s that we may primarily write our personal cheque, so essential has Roefs been throughout 2025/2026.
That’s a dialogue for an additional day however for now, we will revel within the sight of a fully prime class goalkeeper — not hovering twenty toes above the lip of a snowboard halfpipe like his doppelgänger White, however dominating his eighteen-yard field, performing as an intimidating final line of defence and offering a colossal presence at dwelling and away.
£12 million? An absolute snip — and one other enormous success for Florent Ghisolfi and Kristjaan Speakman.