The Sunderland U21s striker who could one day follow Trey Ogunsuyi into Regis Le Bris' plans
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You would be forgiven for not realising that Sunderland U21s played a game of football on Monday evening. There was, after all, the small matter of a potentially pivotal first team clash against local rivals Middlesbrough to fixate upon, not to mention the complicating factor of a January transfer deadline to contend with too.
But whether you realised it or not, Graeme Murty’s side did indeed lace up their boots, eking out a 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League Cup tie away from home. And for the tiny majority who did somehow catch wind of that particular academy outing, it proved to be yet another reminder that Sunderland have - for what feels like the umpteenth time in recent years - seemingly stumbled across an absolute gem.
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Hide AdOver the course of the first part of the season, much of the rhetoric surrounding the U21s has been focused on the irrepressible rise of Trey Ogunsuyi. The teenage striker has scored goal after goal for Murty’s development side, and in doing so, has even started to crowbar his way into the first team picture on Wearside.
But in his increasingly frequent absence, the young Black Cats have been forced to settle on an heir apparent to his starting role at the point of attack - and in doing so, they have brought Finn Geragusian to the fore.
There are those who will already be familiar with the 17-year-old’s burgeoning reputation. He is, after all, an Armenian youth international, and has been banging in goals left, right, and centre at U18 level for quite a while now. But as time goes by, in much the same way that Ogunsuyi has done in recent months, you suspect that he will start to command more and more mainstream attention in the North East.
On Monday, it was Geragusian who scored both of Sunderland’s goals against Wolves, and the manner in which he took his brace hints at a player with a instinctive knack for poaching that his hard to teach. His first was a sliding finish at the back post to poke home a deft ball from Ben Middlemas, and his second was an equally sharp close range strike after he reacted quickest to volley home a teasing cross.
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Of course, two goals for the U21s do not ensure a meteoric trajectory into the first team, but where Geragusian is concerned there is growing - and entirely understandable - excitement that Sunderland might have yet another precocious attack-minded talent on their hands. With Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson already well-established in Regis Le Bris’ plans, and Harrison Jones and the aforementioned Ogunsuyi knocking on the door with ever-increasing urgency, there is a real feeling that the Black Cats’ conveyor belt of youth prospects is in fine working order.
Following his showing on Monday night, Gergusian may well have just staked his claim as the next shiny new product for fans to be keeping an eye on.
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