How Sunderland persuaded trio to sign amid transfer interest from Liverpool, Leeds United and Newcastle

Sunderland retained several highly-rated youngsters with a glut of scholarship signings last week amid serious interest from the likes of Leeds United and Liverpool.

The headliner was Chris Rigg, now 16, who committed his medium-term future to the Wearsiders despite huge interest from other clubs. One source told The Echo that Rigg had just about every top team in the country after him at one point - including all of the Premier League’s big hitters and Sunderland’s oil-rich rivals Newcastle United. 

Rigg, though, was persuaded to stay after being convinced Sunderland was the best place for him to develop and graduate further into the first-team under the grandfatherly eye of Tony Mowbray.

Sources also suggested that supporters and their positive reaction to the youngster - especially after the disallowed goal against Fulham in the FA Cup at Craven Cottage - was a huge reason behind Rigg’s decision to remain on Wearside and helped “make his mind up”.

It is a similar story with goalkeeper and Sunderland fan Ben Metcalf. The 16-year-old has also penned a two-year scholarship at the Academy of Light amid interest from Liverpool, Leeds United, Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood Town, and Blackpool. 

A major factor in Metcalf’s decision to stay alongside the allure of his boyhood club was the unsung goalkeeping coach Mark Prudhoe and his positive influence on young players with one source stating that the former Sunderland player “makes keepers”.

There is also 17-year-old attacker Trey Ogunsuyi, whose first action in a first-team environment for Sunderland against South Shields last weekend was to cut inside from the right wing and rattle the crossbar.

Liverpool were “sniffing” around the youngster recently, according to sources, but he too was persuaded to stay at Sunderland and is being described amongst academy circles as Sunderland’s "best-kept secret”.

Ogunsuyi is eligible for both Belgium and Nigeria with the latter nation calling him up to their under-17 squad for the European Championships but the player had to remain put due to schooling commitments.

Rigg, Metcalf and Ogunsuyi are just three players among many whose potential could be realised at Sunderland in stark contrast to previous years.

What has changed at Sunderland?

Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League to League One brought with it a mass exodus of young players.

Under the ownership of Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven, prospects Sam Greenwood, Luca Stephenson, Joe Hugill, Bali Mumba, Logan Pye and Francis Okoronkwo were all allowed to depart.

The turnover was in part down to opportunity elsewhere. It is hard to turn down big clubs, Mostly, though, Sunderland’s academy was not being utilised to its full potential.

The change under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and academy manager Robin Nicholls is that the academy is now being taken seriously and invested in. Moreover, there is a clear pathway to the first-team. It will not persuade every player, though. Young keeper Toby Bell has just swapped Sunderland for Chelsea.

However, Dan Neil, Elliot Embleton and Anthony Patterson played their parts in getting Sunderland promoted with the likes of Adam Richardson and Zak Johnson now knocking firmly on Tony Mowbray’s door ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Rigg played minutes for Sunderland’s first team last season in the FA Cup as a 15-year-old and Matthew Young, a 16-year-old goalkeeper, has been taken on the club’s pre-season tour to America alongside Rigg.

Wearside is fast becoming the destination for young players to thrive.