Sunderland just cannot stop producing top young talent, and now another wonderkid appears to have broken through from the club’s academy.
This season alone, we have seen Sunderland youngster Tommy Watson emerge in the first-team and receive massive praise for his game-changing performances.
In the Sunderland youth team, there’s also Trey Ogunsuyi, a 19-year-old striker who has bagged 13 goals already this term for the Under-21s.
Now, there could be another Sunderland youngster ready to make his mark with the first-team in the near future, as Marcus Neill stole the show against Arsenal’s youth side this week.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji scores a goal for Arsenal during the PL2 match between Arsenal U21 and Sunderland U21 at Meadow Park on December 16, 2024 in ...
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Marcus Neill is on fire for Sunderland’s youth team
The Sunderland academy team took on Arsenal’s Under-21 side on Monday night, and came away from Meadow Park with a 2-1 win in the Premier League 2 clash.
While the win in itself is an impressive feat coming against one of the top teams in the country, the performance of Marcus Neill has caught the eye the most, with the 16-year-old even managing to score the winning goal on the night.
▶︎ 16-year-old
▶︎ Signs from Liverpool in the summer
▶︎ Scores winner against Arsenal U21s
▶︎ 13 G/A this season
What a start to life on Wearside for Marcus Neill! 👏 pic.twitter.com/fn08v3npGJ
— SAFC Academy (@AcademyOfLight) December 16, 2024
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The young Australian forward was signed from the Liverpool academy in the summer and has been in prolific form for Sunderland so far. Neill’s goal against Arsenal was his 13th of the current campaign across the Under-18s and Under-21s.
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One would assume it will be a while before we see Neill mixing it with the senior team at Sunderland, but given Regis Le Bris’ penchant for giving youth a chance, we could witness Neill making his breakthrough before the season is out.
Sunderland player Tommy Watson celebrates his first goal with Chris Rigg (r) and Jobe Bellingham during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sund...
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Sunderland’s production line is delivering ridiculous results
The rate at which Sunderland are producing top young talent now is frankly phenomenal, and the club has to be applauded for the way it gives teenagers a chance to progress to the first-team.
Under-21 manager, Graeme Murty, discussed how Sunderland need to be seen as a ‘landing spot’ for young players looking to make their breakthrough, and that reputation is certainly growing all the time this season.
From Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson in the last couple of seasons, to the likes of Anthony Patterson and captain Dan Neil, who are both regarded as fairly experienced players despite their relatively young age, the Sunderland squad is flooded with inspiring stories of academy boys being given a clear pathway.
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