Sunderland chief Gus Poyet says there was never any doubt that Anthony Reveillere could succeed in the Premier League Gus Poyet insists he never had any doubts that veteran Anthony Reveillere would be a hit in the Premier League. But the Black Cats boss admits he has been surprised just how quickly his latest addition has come to terms with the physical demands of England’s top flight. Full-back Reveillere, who turned 35 a week ago, arrived on Wearside with an impressive pedigree, having played in the French first division, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A, as well as winning 20 caps for France. However, before signing for Sunderland on a deal that runs to the end of the season, he had not played since leaving Italian side Napoli in May. But Reveillere has excelled in his first two outings, helping the Black Cats to a 3-1 win on his debut at Crystal Palace and then to secure a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Stadium of Light. Reveillere’s impact has been all the more impressive for the fact he has played less than 45 minutes in his favoured right-back slot, with Patrick van Aanholt’s dislocated shoulder sustained at Palace necessitating a switch to left-back. Poyet said: “Physically, I’ve been surprised how well he’s done. No doubt. “Football-wise, not at all. We had seen him in training, and in those first few days he did things with the ball and we said ‘yes, he’s a footballer’. “That class. That’s why he’s played for the teams he’s played for.” Reveillere’s has proved his stamina by playing those first two games and lasting the full 90 minutes on both occasions. But December is a notoriously gruelling month in England, with rapid-fire fixtures at a time when most major leagues in Europe are taking a mid-season break. Poyet believes that – even at 35 – Reveillere can cope with a schedule that sees Sunderland face nine league and cup games in 36 days, starting against Chelsea on the last weekend of November and ending with the FA Cup third round on the first weekend in January. Poyet said: “I don’t want to compare myself to him - I’m 47, and you play a game and then a week later, you still can’t run! “But he’s slim, fit. He just needed football and we put on some sessions for him – 3x20 minutes and we made him play, play, play. “Then it was dependent on him. “He was delighted after playing at Palace and lasting the whole game, coping with [Wilfried] Zaha. “He is in good shape, and he will be able to deal with the busy programme.” Sunderland will resume their Premier League campaign at Leicester City on Saturday, and Poyet expects to have more options available as the Black Cats’ injury problems finally begin to ease. The on-loan duo of Sebastian Coates and Ricky Alvarez were due to begin training today after lengthy absences. Liverpool defender Coates has been missing with a thigh problem, while Inter Milan midfielder Alvarez has been out of action with a knee injury. Both could come into Poyet’s thinking for Saturday’s trip to the King Power Stadium. But the weekend’s international fixtures also threw up a fresh injury headache for Poyet, with star striker Steven Fletcher limping out of Scotland’s Euro 2016 qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland with an ankle injury. Fletcher will not feature in Scotland’s friendly against England tomorrow, and Sunderland are still waiting to discover the full extent of the problem. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spor...nthony-reveilleres-touch-class-comes-8118696?
Watched him at Palace and he looked class. Took a bit of time to nail Zaha down, but once he had him he had him good.
