The defender was absent for the entire season as Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League...
The 24-year-old was pictured arriving at the Academy of Light with teammates, as captured by the club’s in-house media team. It marks another important step forward for Huggins, who has not featured competitively since Sunderland’s 3-0 defeat away at Coventry City in December 2023.
Huggins missed the remainder of the campaign with a serious injury and played no part in the club’s successful play-off push. However, the Wales youth international is now edging closer to full fitness, and Sunderland believe he could yet feature prominently this season.
Le Bris previously addressed the defender’s long-term absence towards the end of last season, admitting the player needed patience and time: “After more than 12 months out, he needs time. He's a good guy, a good footballer, but after so long out, it's tough to recover your level of course. He's really positive and really helpful to have him; he's a very good teammate. We don't know yet what will happen with him.”
Despite that uncertainty, Sunderland took the step of extending Huggins’ contract earlier this year, adding a further 12 months to his deal and allowing the former Leeds United full-back to focus entirely on his recovery without concern over his future.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman explained the rationale behind the decision, saying: “Niall experienced a significant injury just as he had established himself in the team, but despite this disappointment, his response has been first class. He continues to work extremely hard to put himself in a positive position as he continues his rehabilitation. This extension removes any ambiguity over his status next summer and allows our focus to be on supporting him over the coming weeks and months.”
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Huggins himself expressed gratitude to the club after penning the new deal: “It's been a tough year for me, so I appreciate the club backing me and seeing my potential. I'm delighted to sign this contract, and I’m grateful for the continued support I receive from my teammates, the staff, and the supporters. My focus now is to keep working as hard as I can to ensure that I get back to the level I know I'm capable of.”
Sunderland signed Huggins from Leeds United in the summer of 2021. Since then, he has made 28 appearances in red and white, scoring once and registering two assists. He had impressed in the first half of last season before his injury struck and was seen as a player well-suited to Sunderland’s high-intensity, possession-focused style. It is expected Huggins will play a part in the Black Cats pre-season preparations before a decision is made on his immediate future this summer.
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