Harsh truth for Trevan Sanusi as Lorient reveal why Newcastle loanee has struggled

Young Newcastle United winger Trevan Sanusi caught the attention of fans a couple of years ago after some impressive displays in pre-season friendlies.

The former Birmingham City prospect was so impressive in those friendlies that there were calls for him to be thrown into the first team last season, but other than a brief outing in the FA Cup game against Bromley, it never really happened.

This season, Sanusi was sent out on loan to Ligue 1 side Lorient, with Newcastle fans keen to see how he'd perform in the French top flight.

It wasn't smooth sailing for the 19-year-old, however, as he picked up an ankle injury which kept him out of contention for a while.

However, it now looks as though even without that injury, Sanusi wasn't likely to get as many minutes as Newcastle would have hoped.

Trevan Sanusi was 'not ready' for Ligue 1

Lorient boss Olivier Pantaloni claims that Sanusi was 'not ready' for Ligue 1 football, and that's why he never made a single appearance in the competition.

The winger played a few first-team matches in cup competitions and registered a goal and an assist in the Coupe de France, but that was as good as it got. Pantaloni didn't mince his words when discussing his loan spell with the media, as covered by The Chronicle.

"He arrived injured and it dragged on. Then, we mustn't forget that he's a young player, arriving from a foreign country, who doesn't speak the language.

"He found himself in a group that has been working together for a long time, with playing principles and training methods that are perhaps different from those at Newcastle. It was difficult for him.

"I think it's going to be difficult (to add to his handful of appearances in the cup). He's a kid who must have suffered from the situation. He's always persevered.

"If Newcastle took a chance on him, it's because they saw potential in him for the future.

"When you come from there, you want to play as much as possible. We didn't give him the opportunity because we felt he wasn't quite ready for Ligue 1."

Can Trevan Sanusi kick on after this setback?

That's no doubt going to be a dent to Sanusi's confidence, but hopefully, he can use it to spur him on rather than retreat within himself.

There was a lot of expectation on Trevan Sanusi when he signed from Birmingham, and his early promise in pre-season games has only added to that expectation.

We sometimes expect a bit too much of talented youngsters based on very little information. This season it was Park Seung-soo who looked dynamite in pre-season but hasn't featured for the first team.

Loan moves are supposed to get valuable first-team experience for youngsters, and when they go to teams that refuse to play them, it's a knockback for everyone. But if they felt he's not ready, what can you do?

Hopefully, Shola Ameobi and his loan department will find somewhere more suitable for Sanusi next season, and he can push on. He's definitely got the raw talent; it's about honing it now.