Sunderland take Ipswich Town prospect on trial ahead of summer exit - reports

Sunderland have taken Ipswich Town youth prospect Alan Fleischer on trial, according to reports.

As per TWTD, the teenage goalkeeper featured for the Black Cats’ U18s in their 3-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Newcastle United on Saturday. Second-half goals from Alex O’Donovan, Joe Brayson, and Kyle Fitzgerald sealed the Magpies’ victory, with Bayley Hester adding a late consolation for Sunderland.

For his part, Fleischer is a second-year scholar at Portman Road, and spent time on loan at Isthmian North outfit Heybridge Swifts earlier in the season, but is reportedly set to be released by the Tractor Boys at the end of the campaign having been on the books in Suffolk since U9s level.

What did Sunderland U18s boss Jordan Moore say after Saturday’s defeat against Newcastle United?

Speaking after the final whistle at the Academy of Light, Moore said: “We’re a bit disappointed. I don’t think we reached the level that I know we’re capable of, or that we’ve shown over the past couple of weeks.

“In the first half, the game was pretty even, if I’m being honest, but the first goal always felt important and was going to be a turning point. When they got their first goal, we didn’t really recover. If we had taken one of the chances we created in the first half, the dynamics of the game could have changed.”

Moore, however, was forced into fielding a young side due to the club’s hectic schedule on Saturday, with the U21s in Premier League 2 play-off action against West Ham, and the coach admitted that has was pleased with the “pathway” developing for both the U16s and U18s.

He continued: “It’s great to see our pathway in motion. We haven’t just got Marcus [Neill] and Felix [Scott], but also Finn Geragusian and all of our second-years involved.

“For their development - to go and experience a play-off game - it is absolutely fantastic. We had two U16s starting, and all of the substitutes were U16s coming on. That’s good for them and will put them in good stead for when they start full-time with us in the summer.”

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.

For their part, Sunderland U21s saw their Premier League 2 campaign come to an end as they succumbed to a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Hammers in East London. Speaking after the game, coach Graeme Murty said: “I thought we showed real courage in our play today. We wanted to take the game to West Ham, and for large parts we did that. We controlled the tempo, created some excellent openings, and played with confidence and energy.

“We’re obviously disappointed with the result — as we should be — but there’s so much we can take from the performance. We’ve gone up against a Category One Academy, away from home, and matched them in a lot of key areas. The small details made the difference today.”

Your next Sunderland read: Jobe Bellingham issues Sunderland message after EFL award win - these were the other Championship winners