The young Sunderland star has issued a respectful message to Chris Wilder and Sheffield United ahead of the final at Wembley

Sunderland teenager Chris Rigg has issued a respectful message to Chris Wilder and Sheffield United ahead of the Championship play-off final at Wembley next weekend.

The Black Cats and the Blades will do battle in London after Régis Le Bris came past Coventry 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final as Wilder’s men battered Bristol City 6-0 during 180 minutes to hand themselves a chance at an instant return to the Premier League following relegation last term.

Ahead of the game, Rigg told the club’s in-house media team: “Sheffield United are a strong team, who were in the Premier League last season and are one game away from returning. It’s going to be a great challenge because we have already had two good games against them this season. Our preparations for the final are already underway, and we’re looking forward to the challenge because these are the moments that matter.”

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The 17-year-old midfielder also took the opportunity to thank Sunderland fans for their support during the regular season and post-campaign play-off games: “We felt their support from the moment we left the Academy of Light. To go away and do what we did at Coventry – it felt like there was this surge of momentum, a real wave of togetherness. And we made them proud.

“I was buzzing for the game all day on Tuesday. With it being a later kick-off, the excitement just built up, and when we got into the ground, the warm-up, it was bouncing. I was so ready to play. Now it’s Wembley. I’m 17 years old – it doesn’t get much bigger than that. To walk out on a stage like that, in front of 90,000 people… It’s the kind of game you dream of being involved in.”

What has Le Bris said about the play-off final against Sheffield United?

Régis Le Bris hailed Sunderland’s campaign as a tremendous success, regardless of the outcome at Wembley — but insists his squad are fully focused on finishing the season in the best way possible.

The head coach is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits in the Championship play-off final, with opponents Sheffield United amassing 92 points during the regular season, despite starting with a two-point deduction, and cruising past Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in their semi-final.

Following their dramatic and exhausting two-legged win over Coventry City, Sunderland’s players and staff were given Wednesday off to recover. Preparations for the Wembley showdown will begin in earnest when they return to the training ground on Thursday.

“Getting to the final shows that this season has been fantastic," Le Bris said. "It is very important to say that because you can win or lose at the end, but what we have lived together this season was absolutely brilliant. We cannot forget that. But at the same time, it is really important to think about Wembley now and the final game we have to play. We have one more game. It will be another tough challenge, but we will be really focused on that game now. We will switch our attention to Wembley towards the end of the week, and then we will have a full week to prepare for the game. That is the next step for us now."

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