‘Your big man’: Eliezer Mayenda bids emotional farewell as Stade Rennais move nears completion | OneFootball

Eliezer Mayenda has bid an emotional farewell to Sunderland supporters as his transfer to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais nears completion, with a medical in France on Saturday after an agreement in the region of £22 million. The move has not yet been confirmed by either club but is viewed as a formality.

The striker arrived from Sochaux, only for a hamstring injury in his first training session to delay his debut. He later joined Hibernian on loan in the January window and played little, before seizing his chance under Régis Le Bris the following summer. The player said in a post that saying goodbye was not easy and that the club would always be part of him.

Mayenda then became central to Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League, scoring in the first leg of the play-off semi-final at Coventry City. He also netted at Wembley to bring his side level with Sheffield United.

Although regular minutes were harder to find this season, he still delivered a major early contribution, opening the campaign with the club’s first goal in a 3-0 win over West Ham United at the Stadium of Light. In his message he thanked chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, team-mates, staff and supporters, saying they believed in him from day one and stood by him season after season.

Across his Sunderland career the 21-year-old registered 12 goals in 73 competitive appearances. His farewell marks the close of a three-year spell on Wearside.

Source: Sunderland Echo