Sunderland youngster sent social media warning as ex-player delivers Newcastle United links verdict

Former Sunderland man and England youth international Rees Greenwood has offered advice to starlet Chris Rigg whilst reflecting on his career.

The 28-year-old former winger joined Sunderland aged just eight and has shared many of the same experiences as Rigg, with both players rising through the ranks at the Academy of Light at a young age. Rigg and Greenwood come from families with strong links to Newcastle United, though there are family connections to Sunderland too.

Rigg has burst onto the scene over the past 18 months, debuting in the FA Cup last season as a 15-year-old before scoring three goals in 22 appearances across all competitions during the 2023-24 campaign so far. The 16-year-old’s story and good form has led to a strong bond developing between player and fans.

Indeed, Hebburn-born Rigg has started Sunderland’s last three games under interim head coach Mike Dodds as the Wearsiders picked up five points from the games against Bristol City, Leeds United and West Brom. At present, Rigg is keeping former Celtic and Manchester City man Patrick Roberts out of the XI as well as France youth international Abdoullah Ba.

Greenwood, who is about to take his first steps into coaching with former Sunderland teammate Carl Lawson, offered some words of wisdom to Rigg having risen through the academy system on Wearside himself despite being born a Newcastle fan. Greenwood also provided a warning regarding the potential pitfalls of social media.

“He is pretty similar to me in terms of the Newcastle connection,” Greenwood told The Echo about Rigg. “When I started playing for Sunderland during pre-season, I had a Twitter account where I had been tweeting Joey Barton years ago and that started to resurface, so I had to go into the club and they helped me get it removed. The social media people had to take it down for me. It is his career and he will want to do well.

“Everyone knows that he has Newcastle family links but it doesn’t make you do any worse or better. The great thing about him is that his football is doing the talking and he is doing his best for Sunderland. As long as he does that, the fans are going to get behind him, aren’t they? I wouldn’t worry about that connection. I mean, Rooney was a scouser and he went into Manchester United. If you are doing well for that club, it doesn’t matter and at the end of the day, they’re paying your wages. You have to do well.”

Rigg is approaching the end of the first year of his two-year scholarship, which he agreed last summer amid interest from a number of the country's top clubs. With the player building his growing reputation in the game as Sunderland’s Championship campaign draws to a close, you can read about his exact contract and transfer situation here.

Greenwood: “I was made to hate Santa because he was red and white!”

After signing for Sunderland at a young age, Greenwood remained part of the system at the club and agreed a professional deal with the Wearsiders. The winger was on the first-team fringes under Sam Allardyce and was handed his Premier League debut by the future England manager against Watford in 2016.

In the same year, the Winlaton-born attacker also made England under-20 appearances alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks before asking for his release from the club under David Moyes. Greenwood then had stints at Gateshead, Falkirk, Spennymoor and West Auckland Town before spells in Iceland and the United Arab Emirates.

Greenwood last played for non-league side Ryton but has decided against pursuing his playing career further for the moment, instead choosing to focus on his coaching endeavours alongside Lawson. Greenwood, though, jokes that he very nearly didn’t sign for Sunderland after running away from one of the club’s training sessions such was his allegiance to Newcastle United as a youngster.

“When I signed for Sunderland, I was eight, Greenwood remembered. “An hour after I signed, Newcastle United rang my dad and asked me to go and sign. I was gutted at the time as an eight-year-old because my dad was such a big Newcastle fan. He made me hate Santa because he was red and white! I wouldn’t go and see him as a kid. My first ever training session with Sunderland, when I got there, I saw the Sunderland coaches with the kit and I ran away. My dad convinced me to come back and I absolutely loved it after that.”

“As I got older, all my friends are Newcastle fans but it was never that deep, all of my friends were good with it and they wanted it to do well. My dad’s dad was a Sunderland fan as well, so he loved it! He used to take me to sessions. My other grandad would come to all of the Sunderland games with me before I could drive even though he’s a Newcastle fan. It wasn’t a big thing, you get over it and start trying to become professional.”

Greenwood and Lawson’s bespoke coaching service (CL Coaching) is aimed at helping the next generation of hopeful future footballers in the North East, more details can be found here.