The U21s starlet that 73% of Sunderland fans want to see make major first team step

Trey Ogunsuyi is a man on fire this season. At the time of writing, not even halfway through December, the teenager has 14 goals to his name already for Sunderland U21s, and if he continues on his current trajectory, then there is every chance that he could post a truly staggering total for the campaign as a whole.

Understandably, his form for Graeme Murty’s side is beginning to garner optimistic attention on Wearside. Prolific strikers are a rare commodity, and Ogunsuyi’s purple patch - coupled with the Black Cats’ willingness to trust in youth - has got many questioning whether the starlet should be given a chance to prove himself at senior level. To that end, he has already been included in Regis Le Bris’ first team match squad on a handful of occasions, but a debut is still yet to materialise.

Taking all of that into account, The Echo has put the question to readers in recent days - should Ogunsuyi be afforded an opportunity to show his worth in the senior side? In total, some 702 Sunderland fans responded, with the result overwhelmingly in favour of handing Ogunsuyi his debut. Indeed, some 73% of those polled would like to see the centre forward in the first team, while just 27% believe that patience is key, and that the Black Cats should restrain themselves from giving him the nod for the time being.

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Indeed, U21s coach Murty has urged onlookers to not get too carried away with his players’ eye-catching form. Speaking after a recent Premier League 2 fixture, he said: “He looks a threat. He looks like he's going to score. There's lots of things we need to tidy up for him...

“We need to see him be much, much more consistent in his availability for the ball and for the team. Because when he is, he's a really good focal point. But he's a very, very young man. He's only just turned 18. So we have to be really careful not to load too much expectation on him. Just allow him to blossom at his own time and continue to support his development and I think that he's shown some really good signs.”

Nevertheless, Ogunsuyi’s goal-scoring return is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, and as his reputation grows, so too will the clamour from supporters eager to see him test his mettle at the highest level.