Meet the talented youngster who could be set for a Sunderland debut on US tour

Sunderland's pre-season campaign has already handed opportunity to some of the club's brightest academy products and before the USA tour is over, there may well be another.

Just weeks after putting pen to paper on his first scholarship deal, 16-year-old Matthew Young is being handed the opportunity to work with Anthony Patterson and head of goalkeeping Alessandro Barcherini as the Black Cats step up their preparations for the new campaign.

It's the latest step forward for the youngster making a major impression in the early stages of his Sunderland career.

The club's senior goalkeeping options are of course in a state of flux as things stand, with Alex Bass having completed a loan switch to AFC Wimbledon and Adam Richardson currently sidelined with a minor injury.

Young's promotion, while likely to be at this stage temporary as the search for senior cover continues, is a reward for his progress in recent years behind the scenes.

The goalkeeper is seen as one of the best prospects from a hugely-talented crop of young players, including Chris Rigg, who won the U15 National Floodlit Cup and then went on to push Manchester City all the way as they fell just short of the U18 title in a quite outstanding campaign last time out.

Young actually began his footballing journey as a goalscoring forward, but already towering above 6ft it is perhaps no surprise that he has found a very happy home between the goalposts.

Like many of his team mates, Young has had opportunities to move elsewhere as other clubs took notice of his progress, including some in the Premier League.

Young, though, has been encouraged by the increasingly clear pathway to the first team that has been established over the last couple of years on Wearside. From County Durham, the chance to continue his journey on Wearside was always going to be a positive option if the circumstances were right. With Sunderland on the rise and creating opportunities for their young players, Young decided not to pursue the interest from elsewhere.

Young and those close to him are also encouraged by Sunderland's superb track record of producing professional goalkeepers, with students of Mark Prudhoe to be found thriving right throughout the footballing pyramid.

While initially agreeing a scholarship deal Young will move onto professional terms when he turns 17 later this year, a reflection of the hope on both sides that he has a real chance of breaking through at the club in the medium to long term.

In the shorter term, Young will embrace the chance to work closely with Patterson, and potentially get his first taste of senIor football somewhere along the way.

It is then expected that he will progress towards the U21 side over the course of this season, with Adam Richardson also likely to take on much of the minutes played predominantly by Jacob Carney last season. Both Young and Richardson are likely to get the opportunity to train with the senior goalkeepers on matchdays, as Carney did last season.

It's already been an exciting year for Young and many of his team mates, but they're only just getting started.