Leo Hjelde — Sunderland's vibes man
16/04/2025 01:00
"Not all footballers are world beaters, and some are part of a squad for reasons beyond what they can do with the ball. If Sunderland have one of these types, it's Leo Hjelde," writes Paddy Hollis.
Now and again, a footballer passes through a club who brings with him a certain vibe. Some of these drift into the 'cult hero' category, but in the modern day, you might stretch to call these vibes man.
Sunderland have players with a lot of ability, many of whom have plenty of heart ,and several have both. One player for me who you can't quite fit into a category is Leo Hjelde. Signed from Leeds last January, the Norwegian came into the squad at a time when there was anger and frustration. Hjelde got a run in the side when our form fell off a cliff, and he was perhaps a victim of some poor circumstances.
In the summer, Hjelde became a bit of a forgotten man as the pieces for the new campaign fell into place. In fact, at the start of the season, he wasn't even on the bench, and with Chris Mepham to come in later that month, he was knocked further down the pecking order.
His first 16 minutes of the season were bizarrely spread out across eight matches, and he has to be very patient for his first start and 90 minutes. This came in the 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday at the end of February, a match where the Norwegian got the assist for Mayenda's opening goal.
With defenders occupying the treatment room, Hjelde has shown in recent weeks the importance of having a squad. We are painfully short in some positions across the pitch, with left back being a prime example. Aji Alese and Dennis Cirkin are both top players, but also chronic sick notes. Through this, Hjelde has been handed more minutes by RLB, regardless of whether this is out of a level of trust or necessity.
Despite playing so few minutes, the rumours were that he turned down the opportunity to leave Wearside in January. He could easily be a first-team player elsewhere, but he seems bought into what his role is at the SoL. From the outside looking in, Hjelde seems popular with the rest of the squad.
He loves getting involved with celebrations from the subs bench, and he gives me the impression of someone who is the biggest fan of anyone else at the club.
The loss to Swansea City on Saturday was the first this season with Hjelde on the pitch, although in his defence, the goal came before he came on. Leo Hjelde has shown time and again that he's improving as a footballer, and his presence in the dressing room is that of a man who has a certain vibe.
It's hard to imagine him getting much playing time if we were to get promoted, but there's something about Hjelde that makes me think he's a top player to have and an even better one to be passionate about your club.
