USMNT international Lynden Gooch has signed a long-term extension with current club Sunderland, keeping him at the Stadium of Light through the summer of 2022, the club has announced.
The 23-year-old Santa Cruz product debuted for Sunderland in 2016 when the club was in the Premier League, earning four starts and 19 appearances before an ankle injury slowed his season and saw him thrust to the bench. With the club relegated to the Championship, Gooch still could not find a spot in the starting lineup, and the club again dropped a level after a poor season.
This campaign, Gooch has been a regular fixture in the Sunderland lineup, making 21 league appearances so far including 20 starts. With his help, Sunderland sits third in the League One table and is firmly in the promotion conversation.
Gooch made sure manager Jack Ross, who joined the club in late May, got his due when discussing the American’s reasons for signing his extension.
“I am glad to get it all done because the manager has given me a lot of opportunities,” Gooch told the official Sunderland club website. “He has shown faith in me when I haven’t been playing well at times, but I’m delighted to be in this first team and playing because that’s the most important thing at my age. The club has completely changed since the summer and the manager was a big reason for me wanting to stay. He has had a big impact on me this season and given me the license to do what I do best. Hopefully I can continue to show the form I have done in the first-half of the season and help us get promoted.”
Gooch has four caps for the United States national team, with three of those coming in friendlies. He has not started for the national team in his career, with all four appearances coming off the bench. He last appeared for the national team back in May, playing the final 17 minutes of a 3-0 friendly win over Bolivia.