Callum Styles revealed that Sunderland had pursued him in previous transfer windows, and he harbored concerns about a potential move when he underwent an appendix removal surgery in January. Despite the medical setback, the 23-year-old successfully completed his transfer to Wearside on an initial loan from Barnsley, with Sunderland holding the option to make the deal permanent in the upcoming summer. Styles, showing resilience, made his debut for the Black Cats in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Swansea, returning to action sooner than initially anticipated.
When questioned about the details of his transfer to Sunderland, Styles clarified, saying, “The interest has been there for a few transfer windows. Initially, the former manager, Tony Mowbray, expressed a desire to bring me in, and later, Michael Beale shared the same interest. The opportunity materialized in January, and considering my aspiration to play at the highest level possible, especially for a significant club like Sunderland, I was eager to make it happen. The unexpected appendix operation was a curveball, but thankfully, we managed to finalize the deal, which is the most important thing.”
“As soon as I found out I had to have an operation, I just thought that’s me done for kind of the season,” the midfielder said in response to a question about if he was afraid the move wouldn’t go through. I knew very little about it. The surgeon said that I would return in six to eight weeks, and I did, in four.”
Styles spoke candidly about his feelings when he believed the transfer to Sunderland might not go through: “It was gutting, especially with a team like Sunderland, but it ended up going through, which is the main thing.” I’m thrilled to be here and to be a part of this team.
Since Styles’ arrival, there have also been a lot of changes at Wearside, with interim manager Mike Dodds taking over from departing head coach Michael Beale until the conclusion of the season.
“This season has seen a lot of things happen, including ups and downs and a lot of change,” Styles continued. All we need to do is get down on one knee as a team, stick together, and hopefully win some games.
“Obviously, Doddsy has arrived and everyone adores him, but it’s difficult to just flip a switch and forget about all that change,” he continued. It may require some time, which is something you don’t really have in football. All we need to do is adjust as soon as possible.”