Carlisle United assistant manager Gavin Skelton has heaped praise on Newcastle United loan star Elias Sorensen after breaking his duck for the club – kind of.
The 20-year-old is on loan at Brunton Park until the end of the season, but has struggled for goals and game time. However, he did net in a behind-the-scenes friendly recently in front of manager Steven Pressley.
Skelton was very impressed: “He deserved that goal,” Skelton said, as per the Shields Gazette. “It was a great finish, and I don’t think we should underestimate how good it was.
“It was from a very tight angle and that shows you he’s a goal scorer. We’ve seen real improvements in him, not just in training but in everything he’s doing, and he’s putting himself in front of the manager in the right way.”
OPINION
This isn’t the same thing as scoring in a competitive game, of course, which Sorensen has yet to do at senior level, but it’s a step in the right direction, that’s for sure. The young Dane had a horrible time on loan with Blackpool last season, but has been given a bit more of a chance for Carlisle. He’s made five first team appearances in all competitions for the Cumbrians [Source: Transfermarkt], although they have all been substitute appearances. It’s a big transition from Under-23s football, where he was scoring freely for Newcastle, to playing against proper men with genuine stakes. However, he’s got one in a friendly and so hopefully he can build on that moving forward. It’s clear that the Carlisle bosses have been impressed by what he’s done recently in training and scoring in front of Pressley won’t have done his chances any harm. He’s just got to keep impressing and doing the right things and hopefully the game time and the goals will come.
