Sunderland prospect wants to follow Chris Rigg example as target set for non-league loan move

Sunderland youngster Ben Middlemas is determined to catch the eye of Regis Le Bris during his month-long loan spell with National League North neighbours South Shields.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been a regular feature of Black Cats academy sides in recent seasons and has now earned a first chance to shine at senior level working under former Sunderland academy coach Elliott Dickman at the 1st Cloud Arena. Middlemas has started all four games since joining the Mariners and marked his debut with a goal in a 4-1 win at Oxford City less than 24 hours after making the temporary switch. His impressive introduction to the National League North continued on Tuesday night when a goal from on-loan Gateshead striker Aidan Rutledge helped his side earn a battling 1-0 home win against Buxton.

Speaking after the game, Middlemas admitted his main aim during his time at the 1st Cloud Arena was to impress first team staff at the Stadium of Light and he cited one recent Academy of Light graduate as a key example of how Le Bris is willing to hand youth a chance if he feels they have earned the opportunity.

He told The Echo: “The first-team at Sunderland are obviously doing very well at the moment, they’re top of the league and they are flying to be honest. It will be tough to impress the manager but that is my main aim coming here, to try and show him what I can do in senior football. That’s what any young player coming out on loan has to do. It’s a challenge where the manager might watch the games here or talk to staff that have done so and you can get a chance from that. There’s a few lads that have been given chances in the first team. Obviously, there’s Chris Rigg, he’s been unbelievable so far and it shows the manager has not been scared to put young lads in. I’ve just got to be brave, get on the ball, try to impress and show him what I can do.”

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Middlemas put in an energetic and composed display in the heart of the South Shields midfield as they made light of suffering three key injuries and ended the win against Buxton with a side with an average age of around 20. Never scared of receiving possession in dangerous areas and always willing to put a challenge in during a physical game, the Black Cats youngster played a lead role in helping Dickman’s men claim an important win that has lifted them level on points with the play-off places in non-league’s second tier.

Roared on by a crowd of just under 2,000, the Mariners have hit an upturn in form since Middlemas agreed to spend a month on loan at the club - and the talented midfielder is hoping to ‘get better as a player and a person’ by embracing the challenges that are being thrown his way in the non-league game.

He said: “It was a tough game, they’re a good team. We had to dig in deep during the second half to make sure we got the three points but that’s what you have to do. The lads have been great. Obviously it’s different playing in front of a lot of fans here. It’s different with the Under-21s because you get a couple of hundred watching - but coming and playing in front of a few thousand is great and I’m really enjoying it.

“It’s tough, dealing with those challenges. At Sunderland, we like to play, we play out from the back, we are encouraged to do that, it’s all short passes and Under-21s football is like that. This is a different challenge with different styles of opposition. It’s something I need to learn and this is a good place to do it. I just want to play as many games as I can, get better as a player and a person. Coming into a senior team, it’s different for me but I need this to improve.”

Middlemas will hope to continue his impressive form when South Shields return to action with a visit to Chester on Saturday afternoon.