Sunderland sign former Huddersfield Town midfielder Alex Pritchard

Lee Johnson has made his first signing of the summer with Alex Pritchard, who once moved for £11 million, joining the Black Cats.

The former Norwich City and Huddersfield Town midfielder was once considered one of the best midfielders in the Football League, but he has struggled to find form in recent seasons.

At 28, Pritchard should be in his prime. That £11 million move was as recently as three seasons ago when he moved from Norwich to Huddersfield, but the midfielder had a torrid time in West Yorkshire.

He featured in just 19 games in all competitions during the previous campaign, making fewer than 800 minutes and not providing a single goal or assist.

The 2018/19 season told a similar story. Featuring in 18 games, although playing in more minutes despite having fewer appearances, and with just one assist to his name.

These were both disappointing seasons in the Championship for a man signed by Huddersfield when they were a Premier League club, and his only full-season in the top flight was not much better, although he did feature significantly more with 32 appearances in all competitions, playing over 2,000 minutes and contributing two goals and no assists all season as Huddersfield were relegated with just 16 points.

His first half season with the Terriers came in the back end of 2017/18, after a January move where he missed the majority of the first half of the season through injury. He struggled for goals and assists after the move which, as already mentioned, is a part of his game and which he has struggled with since leaving Norwich.

2016/17 was the season Alex Pritchard really made a name for himself, finishing on seven goals and 12 assists in 35 games across all competitions. The midfielder was expected to kick on but it has not turned out that way.

Whether a case of not recovering from that injury before he joined Huddersfield, or that the move to the Terriers just didn’t work out remains to be seen. One thing that’s certain is that if Lee Johnson can get the best out of Pritchard again then he will likely be the best player in League One this season.

He’s heading into his prime at 28 and was a Premier League regular just a couple of seasons ago. His career may have declined rapidly since then but there should still be reasons for optimism for supporters on Wearside if this signing is anything to go by.

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