Exclusive:Transfer news: Title-winning club plot triple Sunderland move after against-the-odds promotion
Title-winners are showing interest in three Sunderland youngsters as they prepare for a historic step up.
Hebburn Town are interested in three Sunderland youngsters after their title-winning promotion campaign, The Echo understands.
The Hornets sealed an against-the-odds title success in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, finishing top of the table with 79 points from 40 matches. Hebburn won 23, drew 10 and lost just seven of their league fixtures, finishing two points clear of Hednesford Town and seven ahead of FC United of Manchester.
Cameron and Waters will leave Sunderland this summer and become available on free transfers when their contracts expire in June, as previously revealed by The Echo. Hebburn are now beginning to shape their squad for the step up, and both players are understood to be of interest after spending time with the club during the campaign.
Cameron spent the first part of the season on loan at Hebburn before a stint with Boston United, with Isaac Allan replacing him on loan at the Hornets midway through the campaign. Waters, meanwhile, enjoyed a productive spell with the North East club and scored important goals during his time there. The forward maintained a strong goals-to-minutes ratio during his loan spell and scored again in Hebburn’s final game of the season.
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The Echo has learned Hebburn are also interested in Allan, though his situation is different. The goalkeeper remains under contract at Sunderland next season, meaning any potential return to Hebburn would have to be on a loan basis rather than a permanent deal. However, Hebburn are only likely to pursue one of Cameron or Allan, given both are goalkeepers, with that decision set to form part of their wider summer planning as they prepare for life at a higher level.
Hornets boss Daniel Moore recently praised both Allea and Waters for the impact they had made at the SFC Stadium after Hebburn’s penultimate league fixture - a 2-1 win over Bamber Bridge last month that left them just three points away from clinching the Northern Premier League title against the odds. Hebburn would go on to complete the job, sealing a historic promotion to National League North.
He said: “I’ve just said in there, first of all, Isaac, the goalkeeper, made two or three unbelievable saves where he has come off his line and made himself big. He kept us in the game if I’m being brutally honest. That’s the way it went. The subs changed the game. We felt we needed a bit more pressure up front with Gaz, so we went for it basically. We stuck two up front because we knew we had to win, as we have done all season, we haven’t come to any game to try and draw. This was no different. Obviously, there is a lot at stake, but that’s not changed throughout the season, so it’s something we thought about at half-time. Jake got a good run-out; he put an absolute shift in.”
Hebburn are expected to operate with a modest budget next season and are understood to be keen to build a young, enthusiastic squad for life in National League North. Players such as Waters, Cameron and Allan fit the sort of profile the club are looking to attract this summer.
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