LYNDEN GOOCH claims to have benefitted from an enforced spell out of the limelight, but the Sunderland midfielder is determined to force his way back into the first team in the remaining three months of the season.

Gooch started the opening four Premier League matches as he announced his arrival onto the senior stage following his graduation from the academy ranks, and made a further five appearances from the substitutes’ bench as he remained heavily involved in David Moyes’ plans.

However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse when he was stretchered off with an ankle injury during a reserves game at the end of November, and he has only just completed his recovery and returned to the first-team squad.

He was involved in last week’s bonding break in New York, and worked alongside the rest of his team-mates as Sunderland staged an opening training session at the Stadium of Light on Monday.

Given his lack of first-team experience prior to the start of the season, he admits it has been nice to be able to take stock of his progress. However, with the Black Cats in desperate need of a lift as they remain rooted to the foot of the table, he is desperate to do all he can to help, starting with Saturday’s tricky-looking trip to Everton.

“I got in the team and was flying, playing well, but sometimes I do think you need a rest,” said Gooch. “I think the manager recognised that it was starting to catch up with me.

“I had a fast start – I played every minute for the first five or six games which was a bit crazy – and there were a lot of things to deal with. I think he just knew to pull me back a bit.

“From the moment I did (the injury), the manager said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll come back’. It obviously gave me a big boost to know he was behind me, and that I’d be back involved as soon as I was fit. That’s the way it has been straight away, and I want to get back into the squad again and get back on the pitch.”

Since Gooch has been sidelined, he has watched fellow youngster Jordan Pickford establish himself as an integral member of Sunderland’s first-choice line-up.

In recent weeks, another former academy product, George Honeyman, has forced his way into the first team, and having played alongside his fellow midfielder on countless occasions in the youth ranks, Gooch is looking forward to accompanying him on the Premier League stage.

“I’ve been here on and off for around 11 years, and I know what it means to everyone,” he said. “I came into the under-18s and had people like George look after me and show me the ropes, so it’s amazing to be in the first-team squad with him now.

“Pickers (Pickford) and Duncan (Watmore) as well – we just want to do everything we can because we’ve been here long enough to know how much it means.

“I think the manager knows he can trust me and George now. He’s played us, and we’ve done our part to help the team and held our own. Hopefully, I’ll be able to play with George because we haven’t yet, which is funny.

“I think we’ve come in and lifted the group a bit, to know that these kids aren’t messing about, these kids want to take our place. The manager has shown we will if we’re good enough. I don’t think he’s scared to do that if people aren’t pulling their weight – he’ll change it, that’s how he is.”

Gooch enjoyed a rare opportunity to return to his homeland last week, and while some might have questioned the decision to travel to a below-freezing New York, the California-born 21-year-old felt Sunderland’s Stateside sojourn was a worthwhile exercise.

“It was actually the first time I’ve been to New York,” he said. “It was nice to be around the lads outside of football, it was a bit different. I think we did grow a lot closer, getting to know each other.

“We grew a lot closer because every day after we’d done our running and gym work, we were doing something together straight away, getting a meal, seeing the sights. We spent a lot of time together, no one was ever in their rooms, and that was the whole purpose of the trip.

“It was quite hard (training) in the cold too, harder than most people probably think it was. I think the main part of it was to try and switch off a little bit, focus on bonding together rather than stressing. We know what we need to do and the work we have to put in, and we were able to get to know each other better with the new signings as well.”