I saw Aaron Connolly's best and worst moments at Brighton – here's my verdict on his move to Sunderland


The 24-year-old, who shot to prominence with a Premier League double for Brighton against Tottenham in October 2019, was a free agent after being released by Hull at the end of last season.
Connolly, who has also had loan spells with Luton, Middlesbrough and Venezia, told the Black Cats’ official website: “I feel very privileged to sign for Sunderland.
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Hide Ad“I’m ready to move forward with my career after facing some challenges in recent times and I fully understand the huge opportunity I have ahead of me.”
Sussex World Verdict: I was at the Amex to see his best moment in a Brighton shirt as he scored twice on his full debut in a 3-0 Premier League win against Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham in 2019. He'd been promoted to the first team by then manager Graham Potter after a prolific period for the under-23s.
It was an exciting moment for Brighton as Potter’s team were starting to make their mark in the top flight, after two seasons of battling for survival under Chris Hughton. Connolly and fellow academy graduate Steven Alzate were the shining stars of Albion’s academy and signified a new era for the club.
Unfortunately it was another 10 months until Connolly scored again in an away win at Burnley. The step-up to the Premier League proved a big one for Connolly. At his best, he has the pace, aggression and movement to cause problems for most defenders and his finishing within the box can be very sharp. He was also very good at holding up play and drawing fouls from defenders to relieve pressure on the defence. His emergence also coincided with the introduction of VAR in the Premier League and his quick movement in the box often gave Brighton a good chance of winning penalties.
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Hide AdIt's no secret however that he struggled with his fitness at Brighton and he has previously admitted he wasn't as committed to football as he should have been in order to compete at the highest level.
Spells out the first team and underwhelming loans at Middlesbrough and Venezia followed. Working with former Brighton player Liam Rosenoir at Hull last term seemed to get him back on track and all the signs are that he has matured as a person.
At 24, Connolly, as yet, has not made the most of his talent but he is still young enough and is now perhaps wise enough to go again. Sunderland could well be getting the right player at the right time, for a relatively low-risk free transfer on a one-year contract.
I personally rate him very highly as a player and this could be a very good move for both parties as Sunderland look to capitalise on their fine start to their Championship campaign.
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