Tom Albrighton says…
The announcement of Rigg extending his stay on Wearside is thoroughly welcome news in what will be a massive season for a player we often forget is only 18 years old.
Rigg has been one of the brightest stars to emerge from our Academy in its illustrious history, so to see the club’s investment rewarded with commitment is a fantastic sight.
The sky really is the limit for Rigg, with him already demonstrating the ability and attitude to match. This is a case of securing what will be our prized asset
in the near future.
As for the season ahead, we may not see as much of Rigg as we would like, given that it will be a key year in his footballing development. However, surrounding him with quality players who have played at the highest levels of club football can only be a positive thing.
Rigg may come in time to be the embodiment of the re-emergence of Sunderland, and our ability to hold onto such talent shows how far we have come in such a short space of time.
My 3-year-old will also be delighted, not because she shares any of the above sentiments with her Dad, but simply because singing “Chris Rigg, ole ole ole” is maybe her favourite thing to do. Win win!
Malc Dugdale says…
It’s really great news that the young man has committed a large chunk of his future to The Lads.
It does feel odd, though, that even with a five-year deal he will only be 23 when it runs out!
It’s well documented that his family are of a Tyneside persuasion, so this is a double compliment really.
Sunderland are clearly the best club for him now and for the next five years, and despite being surrounded by Geordies all his young life, the lad has not been swayed by offers from them or anyone else.
This sign of commitment from such a young prospect, even though we have spent well over 100 million, meaning his chances to play first team football right now are probably way more limited than last season… that shows he appreciates us as much as we appreciate him.
His ability to see a long-term future with us despite suggestions of attention from Man Utd and others says as much about how well our club is set up right now as anything else.
We continue to be a club that nurtures and develops the best young players, even in the Premier League.
Well done Riggy, and well done too, SAFC.
Andy Thompson says…
To be honest, I’m over the moon that Rigg has committed his future to the club.
Rigg is one of, if not the most coveted, youth prospects we’ve had come through our academy, and to tie him down to such a long contract at this stage of his fledgling career his huge for the club.
This contract acts as insurance should a top European club want his services, but it also indicates a massive shift over the past few years to keep our best academy products at the club due to our commitment to playing young players in our first team.
In our league one days, our academy products got let go for peanuts, and for us to tie Rigg down for such a long-term contract could yield a huge windfall for the club when the time eventually comes to let him leave for pastures new.
In the short term, we hold on to a very good young player who can play at a high level and will learn an enormous amount from the likes of Xhaka and Le Fee on how to be a top-quality player.
This year will be tough for him to get minutes, but I’m sure the club will have a pathway for him to maximise his undoubted talent and learn from the experience around him.
Well done SAFC, and well done Riggy!
