The half-time chat that led to Chris Rigg making history & why it impressed Tony Mowbray

Chris Rigg made history on Tuesday night, becoming Sunderland's youngest-ever goalscorer as well as the youngest ever in the history of the League Cup.

In doing so, he edges his way past Connor Wickham, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney. Not bad to company to be in, and especially when you consider that his goal was actually scored on his weaker right foot.

Alongside Bradley Dack's bright debut, it was the main positive on a fairly dispiriting night for Sunderland.

Perhaps of greater importance than the place in the record books, for both Rigg and Sunderland, was the way he which he managed to eventually impose himself on the game - his first competitive senior start.

He had struggled like most of his team at Hartlepool United a week previous but this was far more like the player who had made such an impression

For Tony Mowbray, most promising was the way Rigg took on board his instructions through the game. Disappointed with Sunderland's lack of threat in the first half, he encouraged the 16-year-old to break forward with more regularity in the second. He immediately began to combine dangerously with both Dack and Alex Pritchard.

The response to a tough night at Hartlepool (to be expected from one so young) has impressed his boss.

“I think Chris Rigg belies his age a little bit," Mowbray said afterwards.

"I can be quite harsh on him sometimes, then I have to check myself to think, ‘Hang on a minute, he’s a 16-year-old boy’. I expect more from him sometimes. I thought he was really poor in the game at Hartlepool, almost shockingly, to the point where he looked like a boy. But he reacted to that. He played with discipline [against Crewe].

"When I asked him to play deeper in the first half, he played deeper, then when I said at half-time that because we had so much dominance, he could leave that six position and start breaking into the box, he breaks into the box and goes and scores.

"It shows me that he takes on information, and he wants to please and do well. He’s a good footballer and he’s got a wonderful future in front of him, I’m sure.”

While not expected to start regularly, Rigg has done his prospects of greater game time no harm and particularly while Jay Matete's injury leaves Mowbray's midfield options temporarily reduced.

Speaking to safc.com after the game, Rigg outlined his aim to to and play his way into contention for a regular starting berth next season.

“Hopefully I can kick on later on in the season, get a few more goals and just hopefully get a good place in the league and then maybe be a starter next season," he said.

"That’s the goal.

"The gaffer has said don’t change the way you play. He’s obviously watched me play for the under-21s and 18s and he just said don’t change the way you play.

“He calls us like a lion and that’s what I’m like. I love going forward, I love tackling and just hopefully the lads see how ambitious I am to be in the team.”