Chris Rigg has strengthened his case for a central Sunderland midfield role after impressive pre-season displays
It would be foolish to read too much into two pre-season friendlies, particularly when one came against League Two opposition and the other featured Liverpool sides of varying strength.
Even with that caveat, Chris Rigg has arguably been one of Sunderland’s biggest winners from the games against York City and Liverpool. If this is the 19-year-old’s audition to play more regularly in central midfield, he has handled it with a maturity and confidence beyond his years.
Rigg scored against York after starting in a number-eight role and followed that with another impressive display in the middle of the pitch against Liverpool in Nashville. He looked sharp, aggressive and increasingly comfortable receiving the ball in congested areas. There were encouraging signs of his physical development, too. Rigg protected possession more effectively, competed strongly and appeared much harder to knock off the ball.
Again, it is only pre-season. The pace, intensity and pressure will rise considerably when Sunderland begin playing competitive Premier League and Europa League football. Still, there has been enough to make you wonder whether this could finally be the position in which Rigg settles.
Last summer was a different story
Rigg has always possessed the confidence to receive the ball in difficult areas, but that bravery occasionally counted against him during the previous pre-season. There were a couple of mistakes when he attempted to turn close to his own penalty area or byline, leading directly to goals being conceded.
Those moments appeared to knock his confidence slightly and perhaps contributed to Régis Le Bris using him more frequently from the right during the season. Rigg did a job there and gained valuable Premier League experience, but it has never felt like his natural long-term role.
He can drift inside from the flank, press aggressively and make intelligent runs, but playing wide can also leave him on the edge of games. His best qualities appear more suited to areas where he can repeatedly get on the ball and influence the tempo. This summer, the picture already feels different.
Rigg has looked more secure when receiving under pressure and more aware of when to turn, when to protect the ball and when to move it quickly. Those sound like small details, but they are exactly the areas a young midfielder must develop if he is going to be trusted centrally at the highest level.
A natural connection with Le Fée
The partnership with Enzo Le Fée has also been interesting. Le Fée has looked mesmeric at times during pre-season and appears increasingly settled in the number-ten role. His movement, awareness and ability to find pockets of space can make Sunderland far more fluid in possession. Rigg has shown signs of developing a natural connection with him.
Playing slightly deeper allows the academy graduate to carry the ball forward, make late runs and feed Le Fée between the lines. It also gives Sunderland two intelligent players capable of combining quickly in central areas. Rigg has the technical ability to operate as a number ten himself, but Le Fée is Sunderland’s most natural option there. A deeper role may therefore offer the clearest route into the side.
The challenge is proving Le Bris can trust him defensively against strong Premier League opposition. Rigg will have to understand positioning without the ball, track runners and avoid being drawn towards every duel. He has always played with enormous energy and aggression, but becoming a top-class number eight is about learning when to engage as much as how. That process will take time. He is still only 19.
Serious competition ahead
Rigg’s performances have come before several of Sunderland’s senior midfielders have fully returned to the group. Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki will all provide major competition, while Le Fée can also play deeper if Le Bris chooses another option at number ten. That leaves Rigg with a difficult battle for regular Premier League starts.
He enjoyed a good development season last time around, but the next stage must involve playing more. At his age, training alongside international midfielders will be valuable, but meaningful competitive minutes remain essential. Europa League football could be particularly important.
Rigg may not begin the season as part of Sunderland’s first-choice midfield, but he could become one of Le Bris’ key European players. Thursday-night fixtures, domestic cup ties and the demands of a four-competition campaign should create opportunities that did not exist last season.
If he takes them, the conversation could change quickly. There will be rotation, injuries and fluctuations in form. Rigg does not necessarily need to displace Xhaka or Diarra immediately. He needs to prove he can be trusted whenever Sunderland require him.
Work already paying off
Rigg has clearly wasted no time during the summer. He spent part of the break training with former Sunderland players Carl Lawson and Rees Greenwood, alongside a group containing current and former academy players. Tommy Watson, Tom Lavery, Josh Robertson and Ben Metcalf were among those involved in sessions designed to keep the players fit and sharp.
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There was nothing dramatic about it, but it was worth noting because this feels like such an important season in Rigg’s development. Nobody around Sunderland doubts his talent. Nobody doubts his mentality, either. The challenge is now about finding the minutes, taking the opportunities and continuing to develop at the right pace. Pre-season cannot provide definitive answers, but it can offer clues.
So far, Rigg has played like somebody determined to show that central midfield is where he belongs. Whether Le Bris agrees once every senior option is available remains to be seen, but he could hardly have made a stronger start to the argument.