Sunderland confirm new two-year contracts for 14 highly-rated players ahead of 2024-25

Sunderland have confirmed their yearly intake of scholars - handing two-year contracts to 14 promising youngsters.

As reported on Monday, the Black Cats have revealed that Ivan Struk, Bayley Hester and Marcus Neill have signed up for the scholarship programme at the club.

Struk joined Sunderland towards the start of the 2023-24 season, initially on trial and then via a pre-registration agreement with Chelsea, but has now officially signed with the Wearsiders.

England youth international Bayley signed a pre-registration agreement from Southampton last January while Neill has joined Sunderland from Liverpool and has already represented the Black Cats’ under-16 and under-18 teams.

However, Sunderland have also revealed the names of their other scholars ahead of the 2024-25 season at the Academy of Light. Finn Geragusian and Finlay Holcroft, who both played for Sunderland’s under-18s during their run to the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup, have signed two-year scholarship deals at the club.

Joe Nield, who has been at the Academy of Light since he was nine and also featured in the FA Youth Cup, has signed up alongside central midfielder Liam Hunt.

Youngster Bayley Hester has joined Sunderland on a pre-registration agreement from Southampton and will be joined by wideman Felix Scott, who has also put pen to paper. Charlie Dinsdale, who has been at the club since he was 11, will also remain at Sunderland.

George Bell and Archie Lightfoot round off Sunderland’s intake of scholars for the 2024-25 season with this year’s intake expected to feature heavily for the club’s under-18s side during the upcoming campaign.