Trey Ogunsuyi names Sunderland star who came into dressing room for half time pep talk vs Monchengladbach U21s

Sunderland U21s striker Trey Ogunsuyi has revealed that summer signing Ahmed Abdullahi came into the dressing room to give him advice during the Black Cats’ recent Premier League International Cup defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach.

The 17-year-old has emerged as a key figure for Graeme Murty’s development side in recent weeks following the departure of Luis Hemir, and has been rewarded for his good work at youth level with back-to-back inclusions in Regis Le Bris’ last two Championship match day squads.

Addressing his speedy rise through the ranks on Wearside, Ogunsuyi told Sunderland’s in-house media team that being around the senior squad is a dream come true, as well as sharing a valuable recent interaction with one of his new teammates.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

He said: “Those experiences will live with me forever. Being a part of that environment in terms of the travelling, training, the dressing room, it teaches you a lot. The group have been really good to me every time I’ve made that step up.

“There is a lot I can learn from these lads. Ahmed [Abdullahi] came to our fixture against Monchengladbach and spoke to me at half time. He had a lot of advice to give which I really appreciated. We spoke about positioning and getting those small advantages over the defenders. These guys are experienced and anything I can learn from them is really helpful.

“These last few years have been a real step forward in my development. I have had experiences that I have dreamt of for a very long time. I know this is just the beginning for me. I still have a lot of learning to do.

“All the coaches are really supportive. Murty and John [Hewitson] are brilliant with me. It is a learning curve adapting from U18s football to then playing in the PL2 and the challenge of training with the first team. It’s a challenge I am enjoying and hope continues for a very long time.” Abdullahi himself is yet to make his debut for Sunderland since arriving at the Stadium of Light on deadline day, and is currently recovering from a persistent groin issue which has required him to undergo surgery.