The Sunderland goalkeeping legend inspiring promising youngster looking to make loan mark
Mark Prudhoe has become a major part of Sunderland's coaching set-up during almost 15 years of service with the Black Cats.
Sunderland coach Mark Prudhoe has been hailed for the impact he has made on the careers of a whole host of Black Cats goalkeepers.
The 61-year-old started his playing career with Sunderland during the early-1980s before going on to make over 350 senior appearances for the likes of Walsall, Darlington, Carlisle United and Stoke City before retiring in 2004. Prudhoe began his coaching career with a role as goalkeeper coach at Hull City just under 12 months later but returned to where it all began when he was named as a Black Cats academy coach in 2011.
Since taking up a role at the Academy of Light, Prudhoe has overseen the development of a whole host of young goalkeepers that included current England number one Jordan Pickford and two-time promotion winner Anthony Patterson. One of the latest Black Cats prospects has given an insight into how important Prudhoe has been to his own development as academy stopper Dan Cameron embarks on another loan spell with Northern Premier League club Hebburn Town.
“He (Prudhoe) has been a great support for me all of the way through and he comes to all of the games to check in on me,” he told The Echo.
“I know I’m not the only goalkeeper to have benefitted from him and I won’t be the last. I’ve got nothing but positive words for him because it’s really good for me to have him around and to get feedback on my performances and to get an idea of where I am at. He’s a really good guy and I’ve worked with him since I was ten. He has brought me through, he has helped me improve and most of what I know is through him. He’s just a really good person to have around and I know I can learn from his experience.”
Focus
Cameron followed in the footsteps of fellow Black Cats youngster Adam Richardson when he joined Hebburn on loan during the final weeks of last season and he agreed to return to the Northern Premier League club for an initial 28-day loan last month. That loan spell has now been extended until the end of the season and Cameron will compete for a starting place with former Sunderland academy stopper Harrison Bond.
The 19-year-old was named amongst the Hornets substitutes for Tuesday night’s 2-1 home win against Workington after a delay in the paperwork confirming the extension - but he will hope to reclaim his place between the sticks for Saturday’s visit to Stocksbridge Park Steels and continue what has already been a promising spell in the third tier of the non-league game.
Speaking after Tuesday’s win, the young stopper said: “I am really looking forward to it. I’ve had a really good time at Hebburn so far and I am really enjoying it. I’m happy I’ve got to extend my time here because they’ve always made me welcome. I feel like the gaffer, the staff, Carlo (Carl Morris, goalkeeper coach), they’re all really good and there’s a good group of lads here. I like what they are all about and what the club is all about and it’s a good place for me to play my football.
“It’s something different and I think training and playing with the academy will help my game - but playing for Hebburn, playing proper men’s football, that will also help my game and it’s good to get a taste of both to help my development. I just want to focus on Hebburn, I want to play regular football and enjoy it before looking towards what could come next.”
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