Sunderland target impresses during Blackpool trial as Peterborough sign Bristol Rovers ace

Mitchell is on trial with Sunderland’s League One rivals and he has made two appearances in friendly games against Blackburn Rovers and Everton.

The 23-year-old former Manchester United left-back impressed.

Critchley told the Blackpool Gazette: “He played 45 minutes on Saturday and he’s followed that up with 75 minutes on Tuesday night. It’s the first time he’s played football in a long, long time.

“I thought he showed some really nice moments and he will benefit massively from that.

“I think he grew in confidence as the game went and he showed his attacking qualities, that’s for certain.”

Meanwhile, Peterborough United have signed striker Jonson Clarke-Harris from Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old has agreed a four-year deal with Posh, and manager Darren Ferguson admits the forward was the club’s “number one target” this summer.

He added: “His goalscoring record in the last two seasons with Bristol Rovers has been very, very good.

“He gives us the physicality that we may lose with Ivan (Toney).

“The other strikers aside from Ivan, Mo (Eisa), Dembs (Siriki Dembele) and Ricky (Ricky-Jade Jones) are all very talented in what they do, but they don’t have that physicality and in certain games when it is not going as well as you would like with the ball, you need someone to get hold of the ball and get you up the pitch.”

And finally, Sunderland end their pre-season programme with a behind-closed-doors friendly with Harrogate Town at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Ahead of the game, homegrown Town midfielder Jack Emmett said: “I think we all assumed that we would be playing Sunderland at their training ground, so the fact that we are going to play at the Stadium of Light definitely adds something to the game.

“Going to a place like that, even though it’s a friendly, it now feels like a bigger occasion and I feel it’s a good one for us to have just before the season starts. Playing in a big stadium like this should help us prepare for some of the League Two fixtures to come.”

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