Times are changing at Sunderland for the better, and one of the main aspects of SAFC is now the focus on youth development. It makes the club one of the most exciting places to be in English football. Here are five players aged 21 or under who I expect to take a leap in progression this year and relish the opportunity that they’re given by Mowbray and the coaches. The list of youngsters is so long, it was hard to narrow it down to just five! It makes a change from years gone by…
LUIS SEMEDO
Personally I think Luis Semedo (aka Hemir) will be a world-beater here at the SoL and he’s already showing that in pre-season, chipping in with a couple of goals against South Shields and San Antonio FC. He has added that much needed physicality up front that we needed, (evident through the Luton game last season), with Ross Stewart still recovering from that serious achilles injury. Through this, he has provided reassurance that he hopefully will hit the ground running at the start of this Championship season with his addition contributing to another way of playing football where we can play it into his feet with the liquid flowing football that we like to play, or we can pile crosses into the box and put pressure onto the opposing team that we fell victim for on numerous occasions last season. Hopefully he can become a force to be reckoned with this year, with scoring some key goals along the way.
PIERRE EKWAH
It was a rocky start for the Frenchman last season, giving away a last-minute penalty against Hull in that action packed game at home and causing fans to question Mowbray’s decision to keep bringing him on. But as the season wore on he turned heads and made people fall in love with him. Pierre fought his way into the starting eleven and put in restoring performances to regain the trust from the fans. It culminated in his best performance in a Sunderland shirt against Luton Town at home, covering the whole field and single-handedly stopping their midfield from making a difference. He’s continued this throughout pre-season, with him being outstanding in the game against San Antonio and probably our best player, aiding in the 3-1 win to maintain the 100 percent record this pre-season. This is the year for Ekwah as I believe that he will cement himself as one of the first names on the team sheet this year and become an anchor of our midfield for years to come.
JEWISON BENNETTE
This one could be hit or miss, the only reason why I’m saying this is because last season Bennette hadn’t really had a look into the first eleven with many discussing whether a loan move would be the best for him and his development. Although this could still be the case, I believe that Jewi will break into the side next season, whether that be as a super sub or cause danger to Roberts and Clarke’s positions as starting wingers. Many people say he is better off deployed on the right, cutting in on his stronger left foot and I agree - his goal against San Antonio proved this. There’s definitely a talented player there, it just needs unleashing and I believe that Bennette will succeed here.
ABDOULLAH BA
Abdoullah! I hope to see Ba being implemented in the first eleven more throughout next season by Mowbray as he brings a certain sort of swagger to his game. I’ve compared his game to a young Paul Pogba being able to dictate a game with a click of a finger, shown in the game against Norwich where he took his goal quite well with us being on the back foot for the early stages of the game. He has shown glimpses of what he can become in the coming years with him putting in solid performances in pre-season like the other three previously mentioned. We have a stacked midfield with loads of talent, and I expect Ba to be right up there with the best of them and make it hard for Mowbray to pick a starting eleven. With this being said, it might be hard for him to do so but nevertheless I think Abdoullah will make a mark on English football this year.
CHRIS RIGG
Where do you start with this star boy? He’s only a kid who recently sat his GCSEs and he’s already making a real impact on the team, appearing in the FA Cup last season and scoring in both pre-season friendlies so far (let’s hope he keeps this form). He speaks as a true, mature sixteen-year-old who has a bright future ahead of him. The North East born midfielder has been in Mogga’s praises whenever he’s mentioned the lad, and rightly so. The sky’s the limit for Chris. He’s been prevalent in both the Sunderland and England youth squads being a standout from the rest in multiple games. A dream for any young kid could have came true for Rigg where he had his ‘first’ senior goal disallowed for offside against Fulham in the closing stages. Since then he’s signed a two-year contract with the club, is a confident young man and believes he can make his way into the first team. If he’s good enough, he’s old enough in my book - who’s to stop him?
