Chris Rigg believes Sunderland’s ambitions and increased schedule helped convince players to stay at the club as competition for places intensifies.
Chris Rigg believes Sunderland's increased schedule and ambitions across several competitions helped convince players to remain at the club this summer – with the midfielder making a bold promise about creating a new chapter on Wearside.
Rigg made the comments after Sunderland's 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Hull City earlier this month, when Chemsdine Talbi's clever second-half finish secured progression to the fourth round. Since then, Régis Le Bris' side have faced Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League and made a winning return to European competition by beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
That schedule was precisely what Rigg had in mind when discussing the depth of Sunderland's squad and the competition for places which now exists following another significant summer of recruitment. "I think we want to take it game by game, but also we've got to think that there's a lot of games coming up and our squad depth is good now," Rigg said. "We've got a lot of players fighting for their place, so yeah, happy to get the win today and show that fighting spirit again."
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Asked whether the prospect of competing across the Premier League, Europe and domestic cups provided additional motivation, Rigg suggested it was also one of the reasons players wanted to remain part of Sunderland's project. "Of course, and that was probably why most of the lads decided to stay here, because they know what we want to do by the end of the season," he said. "We want to do well in the league, and we want to do well in Europe, and it's a big challenge for everyone. So yeah, we're just really excited for it."
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Rigg has been around Sunderland's first-team journey since making his senior debut in the Championship, while having watched the club's League One years from inside the Academy of Light. His comments about the next stage of Sunderland's story were perhaps the most striking part of the interview. "Yeah, 100%," he said when asked whether there were more chapters still to come. "I think everyone knows Sunderland and their history, but now we're here to take over and create a new chapter, which we're going to do."
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