These are the major concerns Sunderland fans have about the future of the club's academy

Sunderland AFC have always maintained they are fully committed to the academy with the club looking to appoint a new academy manager soon after the departure of Paul Reid.

But fans that took part in our Big Sunderland Survey have expressed their concerns over the future of it under the current owners.

We asked, are you confident the current owners are fully committed to the club’s academy?

A staggering 90.2% of fans that responded to the survey said no, with just 9.8% stating they were.

We also asked fans what their main concern was over the future of the academy?

The results were mixed, with 33.8% stating the impact the departures of the best young players will have on the first team in the years to come was their big concern.

With a further 27.8% saying the sale of young players was their big worry, meanwhile, just under 20% expressed concern the academy could be scaled back or downgraded.

That is something the club insist won’t happen.

Speaking recently, Sunderland CEO Jim Rodwell says the club are committed to retaining the Category One status both in the short and long term.

Rodwell also said that putting a stop to the departures of talented players would be a key part of the remit for Paul Reid's replacement.

The club's U18 and U23 side suffered wretched league seasons, unable to win a game as the impact of a number of players leaving around the age of 16 began to take hold.

Rodwell told the Echo recently: "We are absolutely committed to the academy and our category one status.

"Having a category one academy in League One is difficult but that is what we are committed.

"Next season we will be a Category One academy, simple as that, and we are committed beyond that as well.

"We know we need to improve, we are absolutely aware of that.”

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