Ex-Sunderland man spotted at Stadium of Light after transfer switch as coach admits club tried to keep him

Former Sunderland starlet Josh Robertson was in attendance at the Stadium of Light for the FA Youth Cup on Friday night, the day after concluding a transfer switch to Brighton.

Sunderland confirmed the deal on deadline day and stated they 'reluctantly' allowed the midfielder to join Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee.

Robertson had been making impressive progress at the Academy of Light in recent times and has been part of the under-18 side performing strongly in the FA Youth Cup this season.

Sunderland did not want to lose the 18-year-old but say they were left with little choice but to negotiate after Robertson indicated he did not see his long-term future at the club.

That message was reiterated by Sunderland under-18s coach Jordan Moore after the Black Cats' loss to Swindon Town in the Fa Youth Cup on Friday night at the Stadium of Light, with Robertson in attendance to watch his former teammates.

"The club wanted to keep a hold of Josh," Moore said about the transfer when asked by The Echo post-match. "Josh has been here a long time and I have worked with Josh a lot of years as have the staff and we just wish Josh all the best in his future. He has been great to work with. I have a lot of time for him and I wish him all the best."

After confirmation that the deal was sealed on deadline day, academy boss Robin Nicholls said: “Josh’s scholarship was due to expire at the end of this season and after indicating that he did not wish to commit his future to SAFC, we reluctantly accepted to pursue the next-best solution for the club and the player.

"We are disappointed that Josh will be departing the group, as he is a player with potential that we hoped could eventually progress into our senior team, but we wish him well for the future and are proud to have played an integral role in his development.”

Sunderland under-18 missed out on a spot in the FA Youth Cup quarter finals after losing 2-1 to Swindon Town on Wearside last Friday.