The battle for the Sunderland goalkeeper’s jersey could be well and truly on!

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One of the most eye-catching aspects of Robin Roefs’ transfer to Sunderland (aside from its sudden nature — another hallmark of much of our summer transfer business) was the reaction from those associated with his former side, NEC Nijmegen.

If the figures quoted are accurate, you could understand why the Eredivisie outfit would be only to happy to part ways with the Netherlands U21 stopper, and the fact they wished him well for the next stage of his career was a classy note on which to end.

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Roefs is

clearly rated very highly in his homeland — as well as by the wider footballing community as well.

This was highlighted by his inclusion in the ‘team of the tournament’ at the recent UEFA U21 European Championships, and after Senne Lammens, Djordje Petrović, Marcin Bulka and — God help us — Aaron Ramsdale, were linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, we’ve finally got our man and it sets up what could be a fascinating dynamic between the sticks.

First and foremost, it would be remiss not to mention that this signing ticks many of the boxes we generally look to fill: youth, enormous potential, and significant resale value should he make the kind of impression we all hope.

Roefs’ lack of English top flight experience and his relative youth may cause nerves to jangle among pockets of the fanbase, and in some ways, it’s understandable.

A well-travelled goalkeeper such as Stefan Ortega might’ve been an attractive proposition, but having players on tap who can develop along with the club is a key component of the ‘Sunderland way’, and they’ve clearly worked hard to identify possible targets.

Roefs’ debut — a promising display during Saturday’s narrow defeat to Spanish side Real Betis — was encouraging and he certainly didn’t look overawed by the occasion or the fact that his Sunderland bow came at the end of a whirlwind week.

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Indeed, he looked confident, assured, solid when claiming crosses and more than capable of commanding his area. All vital qualities, but I suppose the key question is whether we now have a nailed-on number one goalkeeper for 2025/2026.

Ahead of his arrival on Wearside, David Ornstein’s story-breaking tweet referred to Roefs arriving as our ‘new number one’, but will it be as cut and dried as that, even with Anthony Patterson currently out of the picture?

Whatever the naysayers may claim, he’s undoubtedly earned his status as our starting goalkeeper during three eventful years in the first team.

He usurped Thorben Hoffman under Alex Neil and held his nerve in the League One playoff final before stepping up — with the odd error along the way — to the Championship. He then performed superbly during the memorable playoff final victory over Sheffield United, with a Jimmy Montgomery-like save from Kieffer Moore proving vital.

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Of course, Roefs’ arrival will almost certainly lead to one of Blondy Nna Noekeu or Simon Moore leaving the club, but as is so often the case when multiple players find themselves vying for one position, why shouldn’t this drive both Patterson and Roefs on?

One accusation that’s often been thrown at Patterson is that he’s seldom had genuine competition for his place and therefore hasn’t had to push himself as hard in order to retain the gloves.

The first point is hardly his fault, but now it’s different as Roefs will be eager to give a good account of himself and the whether he chooses to knuckle down, continues to improve or loses heart will therefore be Patterson’s.

If he sees this as a challenge to be embraced, so much the better, because I want to see these lads driving each other on and raising their standards as a result. Depth in all areas is crucial and if we can bring the defence up to par ahead of the visit of West Ham, I’d feel confident in Roefs’ ability to begin his Sunderland league career in solid fashion.

Two of the most notable goalkeepers of the Stadium of Light era — Thomas Sorensen and Simon Mignolet — arrived at Sunderland as young and relatively unheralded prospects, and nobody could claim they didn’t live up to their promise during their spells as the last line of defence on Wearside.

Roefs is the latest stopper to walk that path but under a revamped coaching team and with the backing of an expectant Sunderland fanbase, I’d love to think he could do exactly that, with his teammates hopefully close by and matching him save for save.

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