Fit-again defender leaves Sunderland in search of a new club

Jordan Willis' recovery from injury is complete and he has now left Sunderland, the club have confirmed.

Jordan Willis has left Sunderland in search of a new club after completing his recovery from a ruptured tendon in his knee.

Willis was a key player for Sunderland when he was fit, but he has not played for nearly two years now due to the initial injury and a recurrence during his first comeback attempt.

He had remained at Sunderland so he could have access to the physios and facilities, but with him now fit again and ready to resume his career, he has left to look for a new club.

“I had Jordan at Coventry City and he was very good. He got a move to a very big football club,” Tony Mowbray said. “Whilst I didn’t see him play for Sunderland, I know what he would bring but he has picked up some bad injuries.”

“Our conversations over the last few weeks is that I feel he is at a level now where he ended up training over the last couple of weeks with the first-team. I feel that he needs to go and play now and get his career started again. Go and train with a first-team every day and show the manager that you warrant a place in his team.

“That is what we decided. It was a tough ask particularly with the central defenders and the right-backs that we have. There didn’t seem a very obvious route for him.

“I think it was for the best. I think he had an option to go and train. He’s fit but he has to overcome the mental scars of a long term injury and then once he does that, through repetition of training, hopefully he gets into the game scenarios, forgets about injuries and is the best version of himself.”

Willis played a total of 60 games for Sunderland, scoring two goals.

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