OTD: NIALL HUGGINS BORN

Niall Huggins was born on this day in 2000. The right back joined us during our final season in League One but was never able to make the impact he would have liked due to injuries. This season, he's out on loan at Wycombe Wanderers.

Born in York (although he represents Wales), Huggins came through the ranks at Leeds United and made his Premier League debut at Arsenal in 2021. He and former Sunderland winger Jack Clarke actually came through the same age group.

Niall arrived on Wearside in summer 2021, despite having two years left on his Leeds contract. It was reportedly a free transfer but included a sell-on fee. Huggins was seen as a versatile option, a both-sided fullback who could also fill in central midfield.

His debut for the Lads came in a Carabao Cup 3-2 win against Blackpool, where Aiden O’Brien scored a hat-trick. However, a series of serious injuries limited Huggins’ opportunities in League One. He only made two league appearances which both came in September, against Bolton Wanderers then Cheltenham Town. He wasn’t seen for the rest of the season due to several strange injuries, such as a stress fracture in his back, problems with the backs of his knees and frustrating bone issues.

He managed just four games in our first season back in the Championship, against Birmignham City in the league, a couple of appearances off of the bench in the play-offs and against Fulham in the FA Cup. Huggins then became a regular feature in the first half of the 2023/24 season but he picked up an injury in December and was out for the rest of the season. His goal against Watford in October 2023 won the Championship Goal of the Month award.

There were no appearances in 2024-25 and this season he managed to play in a number of pre-season friendlies and then managed 45 minutes in the League Cup against Huddersfield Town. He then joined Wycombe on loan under former Sunderland interim boss Mike Dodds. He was playing regularly until Dodds was dismissed, even picking up a couple of assists but he's fallen out of favour under new manager Michael Duff. His Sunderland contract expires at the end of this season.