Want an illustration of how quickly time seems to pass by in football terms — or simply graphic proof of how radically things have evolved at Sunderland in recent years?
The picture below was taken just under three years ago, during a game in which a ridiculously youthful Chris Rigg was denied what would’ve been a fairytale FA Cup goal against Fulham at Craven Cottage and everyone started to sit up and take notice of the latest exciting talent to roll off the Academy of Light’s production line.
During
the intervening three years, a hell of a lot has changed at the Stadium of Light.
Tony Mowbray was temporarily replaced by Mike Dodds, Michael Beale was hired and succeeded as head coach by Mike Dodds and then Régis Le Bris, and the entire process — often difficult and frustrating — eventually led to the promised land of Premier League promotion, with Rigg earning the right to call himself a top flight footballer after a red and white rise that’s encompassed memorable goals, eye-catching performances and plenty of excitement about what he could eventually achieve.
Of course, the dynamic is very different now and if the Sunderland side in which Rigg made his first team debut was talented if somewhat unbalanced and lacking depth in key areas, the team in which he’s currently fighting to establish himself in is of a far higher standard.
Under Le Bris, Sunderland are competitive in the Premier League and after a heavyweight summer recruitment drive, Rigg is now surrounded by elite talents in more or less every position. As such, the former prodigy is entering the next stage of his development — one during which we all hope his rate of progress will continue.
I firmly believe that at this stage and for the good of his future prospects, Rigg is exactly where he needs to be.
It’s true that he’s often been played outside of his “natural” position and although he always gives his all when deployed on the wing, it’s obvious that his skillset is best suited to the number ten position, albeit with Enzo Le Fée arguably our leading light in that particular role. That’s not necessarily problematic in itself — this league demands far greater quality and depth, after all — and for Rigg, perhaps it’ll simply be a matter of patience, discipline and seeing the bigger picture.
Given that he comes across as a single-minded, grounded and extremely driven young footballer, one would hope that the presence of such talent within the Sunderland camp is inspiring Rigg, driving him on and ensuring he keeps his eyes on the goal of constant improvement.
In my view, one thing is absolutely certain: Rigg should not be loaned out this month and if we arrive at the end of the transfer window having bade a temporary farewell to this immensely talented prospect, it would be detrimental to his own personal development and would also deprive Sunderland of a valuable option; someone who could play an important role during the final months of the season.
Despite the impressive way in which we overhauled the squad during the summer, the long-standing argument of “He’s not ready for the Premier League” is ringing increasingly hollow, as is the notion that we should send a gifted player to the Championship on the basis they need to “toughen up”. In fact, it’s not too dissimilar to the stuff we used to hear as starry-eyed kids back in the Russell Foster days: “This player or that player won’t make it because they’re too small”, and so on.
Such has been the explosion of talented teenagers in recent years that if you haven’t established yourself by the age of twenty or so, you’re viewed as being behind the curve, but that’s a red herring.
It’s a universal truth that different players develop at different rates, and the idea of such a quality footballer being farmed out and forced to mix it with the likes of Millwall and Stoke City on the basis that his development will be expedited as a result is fairly gruesome.
Rigg is currently training and playing within an elite, high-performance environment, with a coach and captain setting and driving high standards having implemented a style of football that demands a great deal from the squad.
To my mind, that’s the perfect place for him and I trust Le Bris and his coaching staff to continue to do the right thing — and for Rigg himself to continue to apply himself properly and make the most of any and all opportunities that he’s given.
As was the case back in 2023, the sky is the limit for Rigg and now that he finds himself amid the bright lights of the Premier League, why shouldn’t he continue along the same path? It’s all within his hands and I’m hopeful that he’ll do exactly that.
