Dan Cameron is set to leave Sunderland despite first-team training experience and two loan spells this season

Sunderland have released promising young goalkeeper Dan Cameron as part of a wider academy reshuffle, The Echo understands.

The 20-year-old has been with the Black Cats since under-10 level and has trained with the club’s first team on multiple occasions. However, Cameron is now set to leave the Academy of Light as Sunderland make their annual decisions on academy contracts ahead of the summer.

Cameron spent the early part of the season on loan at Hebburn Town in the seventh tier and earned strong reviews as the non-league side built momentum during their promotion-winning campaign. He was later recalled by Sunderland and sent to Boston United in the National League, two divisions higher, where he played nine full matches.

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.

The 6ft 5in stopper’s contract at the Stadium of Light is due to expire in June, but Sunderland have opted against triggering a one-year extension option. It is understood that decision-makers do not believe Cameron’s development would be best served by continuing in youth football. Instead, Sunderland have allowed him to pursue regular senior minutes elsewhere and find a club where he can continue his career with a clearer pathway to first-team minutes.

Cameron will turn 21 in September, and his departure comes as part of the club’s yearly academy review process. The decision brings an end to a long association with Sunderland, having spent more than a decade in the club’s youth system.

Speaking to The Echo earlier this season, Hebburn Town boss Daniel Moore tipped Cameron to play at a high level following his loan with the Hornets in the early part of the campaign. “I think he has a really good career in the game,” Moore said in February.

“You’ve always got to have a bit of luck along the way, but with his background, the attitude and the willingness to go and play non-league football, clubs in the EFL will look at that as a massive plus point. Next year will be another stepping stone, and I don’t know where he goes beyond that, but I hope it is league football because for us to play a part in that journey would be massive for us too.”

Your next Sunderland read: James Copley: Sunderland favourite nearing exit after Wolves – and it feels like a real shame