Sunderland manager Steve Bruce says Paulo da Silva is ready to cope with the demands of the English game.
Black Cats boss ready to give Paraguayan Tottenham tilt
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce says defender Paulo da Silva is ready to cope with the full demands of the English game.
Da Silva arrived at the Stadium of Light from Mexican side Toluca in August but has been restricted to appearances from the substitutes' bench for much of the campaign.
His debut came in the Carling Cup win over Norwich in August and since then the 30-year-old has featured 18 more times for the Black Cats.
And while regular starts have eluded the Paraguayan international, Bruce believes his summer recruit is ready to become a mainstay of his team - after admitting he had rushed the South American's introduction to the English game.
Bruce said: "As I have said repeatedly, in my experience with the South Americans - it was the same with [Wilson] Palacios and [Antonio] Valencia and [Hugo] Rodallega and in particular [Maynor] Figueroa - it took them time.
Get to grips
"I didn't play Figueroa for seven months until I gave him his debut. I probably threw Paulo in a bit quick, but we were struggling with injuries and suspensions at the time.
"But I think now, he is just starting to get to grips with the culture, the way the game is played and the intensity of it, so it will be interesting to see how he does in the next five or six weeks.
"I am sure he will be wanting to do well. He is going to the World Cup as captain of his country, which is a fantastic achievement for him as well."
Sunderland come up against Tottenham on Saturday and Da Silva could make his first since January as John Mensah's persistent injury problems refuse to go away.
Bruce has been inundated with fitness problems affecting his back four this season, and he now hopes the Paraguay captain can provide the solution to the woes that have prevented him from fielding a consistent defensive line.
Former Wigan boss Bruce has dealt with numerous South American buys throughout his career.
Totally different
And his experience of handling the transition from a different continent to the English lifestyle has taught the 49-year-old to be understanding of Da Silva's situation, who he praised for settling into Wearside so readily.
Bruce added: "It's totally, totally different. In Mexico, its red hot, isn't it? It's at walking pace and everything comes to life in the last third.
"And in Mexico, they are not very big, so when he sees [Didier] Drogba and people like that, there's a bit of a difference physically. But most of it is mental.
"Let's be fair, within six months, he is fluent in the language, he's moved his family here and the kids are now going to school and all of that.
"If we are being honest, we would all struggle with that. If we all had to go to Paraguay or Mexico, we might struggle as well."
