Kristjaan Speakman shared the details of how we managed to convince Jewison Bennette to come to Wearside, giving an insight to how we operate as a club when it comes to transfers and scouting.
INCLUSIVE
“I think that’s the open-mindedness of this football club that you’ve got now. I don’t think there is an issue around language, there’s not an issue around culture. There is a real openness around what type of talent that can come and trying to develop that exciting, hard-working, industrious, creative team, you want to have a little bit of a mix.”
TRANSFER TEAM
“We are just trying to identify the talent we can get at the right value that we think can come in. Our recruitment team, led by Stuart, have done incredible jobs since we sort of formed and created that team. They are an incredible help to myself, Steve (Davison) and Kyril (Louis-Dreyfus) because they are undergoing all the relevant due diligence you’d require, which is both qualitative in terms of watching the games and quantitative with the numbers to try to make sure we’re in a position to make the best decision. Then you have to do the leg work."
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
“Stuart Harvey was out in Costa Rica, bless him I think he thought there was going to be some sun and then it rained everyday so it’s just as well we got a good signing out of the back of it. Stuart is out there watching two games, spending time with the family and convincing the boy that Sunderland is the best place to go.”
WEARSIDE CHARM
"I think everyone has seen the talent this kid has got and Sunderland wasn’t his only option, so you have to go and have to convince. That’s where I think our football club can be really positive because we’re not just relying on an agent to communicate our message, but we are on the flight and we are out there.”
CLEAR STRATEGY
“We are in the face, we’re presenting our project and giving them an insight into what it is and all of a sudden the players want to come and that’s down to Stewart and his team when it gets to that point and then everything else that goes on around formation of contracts et cetera to make sure we get the best deal.”
