Welcome to Sunderland AFC, Ovie Ejaria.
The Black Cats completed their third January signing on Wednesday afternoon as Ejaria signed on loan until the end of the season.
Joining from Liverpool, the 20-year-old combines tenacity with vision – and an eye for goal – while also bringing versatility to Chris Coleman’s ranks having played in numerous positions throughout his blossoming career.
Ejaria started out at Arsenal and spent nine years in North London before moving to Merseyside in 2014.
And it didn’t take long for him to make an impression at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp handed the youngster his first-team debut in a friendly against Tranmere Rovers in 2016, and he went on to feature prominently in the Reds’ pre-season preparations.
After being named on the bench against for a Premier League clash with Chelsea, a first competitive appearance arrived soon after as Ejaria replaced Roberto Firmino in a 3-0 win over Derby County.
One month later, he made his first senior start in the same competition as Liverpool dispatched Tottenham Hotspur, and he made his PL bow in November 2016 against Watford.
Ejaria is part of the first-team fabric at Anfield, emerging alongside the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn, and he regularly trains with the Reds’ elite players.
He also featured for England under-20s alongside fellow loan signing Jake Clarke-Salter, as the Three Lions won the 2017 under-20 World Cup.
And after an array of eye-catching performances for Liverpool at under-23 level, the 20-year-old can’t wait to continue his development on Wearside.
“I’m really happy because I’ve wanted to go out on loan for a while to get regular first-team football under my belt.
“I’d say that I’m a player that likes to get on the ball quite a lot and make things happen, I’ll try to create chances and hopefully score some goals as well.”
He added: “I’ll always give one hundred percent and work hard for the team.”