Sunderland teenager reveals Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée shock as Luke O’Nien role emerges
Finlay Holcroft is still eligible for the under-18s but has made 40 appearances across Sunderland’s youth sides.
Finlay Holcroft has opened up on the “crazy” experience of learning from Sunderland’s first-team stars at the Academy of Light.
The youngster is still eligible for the under-18s but has become a regular for Sunderland’s under-21s this season, making 40 appearances across all competitions and playing 3,176 minutes. That included 17 Premier League 2 appearances, nine in the Premier League Cup, four in the Under-18 Premier League and four in the FA Youth Cup.
Holcroft also featured in the Premier League Cup final defeat to Burnley at the Stadium of Light, adding another major experience to a season that has also seen him play at Old Trafford. Sunderland have placed a major emphasis on exposing young players to different environments, with academy prospects regularly training near or alongside first-team players. For Holcroft, that has meant being able to watch and learn from players such as Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fée and Luke O’Nien.
Asked what it is like walking around the Academy of Light and seeing players such as Xhaka and Le Fée, Holcroft said: “Yeah, it's a crazy feeling. You could be walking down, and he's [Xhaka] just shaking your hand on a morning, and it's just been like, he's such a player, and I just think you're kind of in shock a little bit. But I'm glad that the players are quite welcoming and they will be happy to have a chat with you. So I think there's a good environment at the club.”
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Holcroft also praised O’Nien’s influence, with the Sunderland defender regularly offering advice to young players during training sessions. Asked whether the academy players receive much input from the senior group, Holcroft said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. Whenever we're over there on their pitches and if we train, if you do something wrong or something good, he's always there giving a professional opinion on the situation. I think every time it definitely helps me learn.
“I definitely think Luke's a good role model in all aspects of football, whether that's leading, he did some coaching with us, or even just watching him on the pitch and the way he scans or the way he talks and helps everybody out. It's just really important, and I think some people don't see that, especially when they're watching from the stands in the Premier League, but there's a lot that goes into it, especially from Luke.”
Holcroft has enjoyed a significant season in his own development, progressing from under-18 football into regular under-21 involvement while still being eligible for the younger age group. His workload underlines the trust Sunderland have placed in him, with the defender featuring across Premier League 2, the Premier League Cup, the FA Youth Cup, the National League Cup and the Premier League International Cup.
“I'm really proud of myself on a personal note of how far I've come and how much I've improved,” he added. “But hands up to the lads. As a team, we've all come together, and we've learned loads, and I think we really kicked on in the second half of the season.
“Playing with players like Ahmed [Abdullahi] and Milan [Aleksic], playing with players of such high calibre is really good. And then being able to train with some of the bigger players like Granit and so forth, I think it's just all good for our development.”
Your next Sunderland AFC read: Gus Poyet lauds Sunderland for 'unexpected but amazing' Europa League qualification