Sunderland confirm extended loan agreement for Black Cats starlet

Sunderland starlet Caden Kelly has extended his loan stint with Darlington, the Black Cats have confirmed.

The 20-year-old initially joined the the Quakers on a month-long deal in October, but will now continue his spell in the National League North having made seven appearances for Steve Watson's side already. Kelly’s updated agreement will see him stay where he is until January.

Kelly spent his youth career with Premier League champions Manchester City, and made his first team debut for Sunderland during the 2022-23 season under Alex Neil in the Carabao Cup. Since then, he has predominately played for the club’s U21s. Last season, the attacker made the bench six times for the first team, but failed to translate any of those call-ups into actual minutes. Kelly was also on the bench for this season’s game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

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.

Addressing the decision to allow Kelly to continue with Darlington, Sunderland academy manager, Robin Nicholls said: "Darlington, ourselves, and Caden agreed that it has been a positive experience that should continue. Senior minutes are important at this stage of his pathway. Moving into a new environment is always difficult for young players and we feel Caden has begun to adapt to what is required of him at Darlington. I am sure he will continue to add value to their season."

Speaking at the time of Kelly’s initial loan agreement, Nicholls said: "This opportunity provides Caden with a great chance to experience senior football. After a few seasons in PL2 with our U21s, he will go into a big club at a good level of the football pyramid. We have seen how successful these loans can be and we hope Caden can have a positive experience."

Since signing for the non-league outfit, Kelly is yet to register any goals or assists. He did, however, score twice and assist one more over the course of five outings for Sunderland’s U21s during the early stages of the campaign.