A few years ago, as my beloved Sunderland plumbed the depths of League One, I began what has now become a tradition. It may seem like an odd thing for a grown man to do, but the start of the 2021/22 season
was an odd time.
In the surreal world of Covid, Sunderland had finished the previous season by winning a trophy of sorts – the ‘Pizza Cup’ – at an empty Wembley but had then stumbled to defeat to Lincoln in the play-off semi-final. Long-suffering fans could look forward to watching a side which included the likes of Josh Scowen, Callum McFadzean, George Dobson, the occasional appearance from Remi Matthews, and Danny Graham being summoned from the bench.
Amidst the gloom, a young home-grown talent was just beginning to emerge. I still struggle to explain why, but I decided that I would have Dan Neil’s name and number on the back of my yellow away shirt.
I don’t believe that it made any real difference to a young player that some old bloke in the stands, whose only footballing claim to fame was winning the Tyneside Senior Schools Cup and Durham County Cup in successive seasons nearly 40 years earlier, had his name on the back of a replica shirt – but it worked (for me, anyway).
Neil only made the bench at Wembley that season but contributed 39 appearances and three goals to our successful promotion campaign. Fast forward three years, and it was his turn to lift the Championship Play-off Trophy in May. And now he has 200 appearances for his boyhood club under his belt.
At the start of the following season, I decided to pick another promising young player who I felt could have a significant impact. My 2022/23 blue away shirt bears the name ‘Ballard’ – the powerful young Arsenal Academy graduate had impressed on loan at both Blackpool and Millwall and had the potential to become a club stalwart, in the best tradition of Sunderland centre-halves. Injuries may have limited his ability to properly fulfil his potential in the Championship (right until the play-offs) but he has managed the transition from that level to the Premier League with astonishing ease.
A year later, and with my little tradition now firmly established, there was only one option for serious consideration for the 2023/24 pink and purple away shirt. Like Dan Neil, Chris Rigg was another local lad living out the dream we all had of becoming a Sunderland player. Already he has captained the national side in his age group and has over 60 Sunderland first-team appearances at just 18. He is still settling in to life in the Premier League but clearly enjoys the full confidence of Régis Le Bris.
At the start of the 2024/25 season, all the speculation was about whether we would lose our talisman, Jack Clarke. The tricky, goal-scoring winger would eventually depart for Ipswich, but by the time he did, I already had an away shirt emblazoned with the name of his replacement. Romaine Mundle had impressed me sufficiently in his limited opportunities that I felt that he could not only be as creative as Clarke but would actually be an upgrade in defensive terms. When he returns from injury, he now has plenty of competition for a berth on the wing but will hopefully be fit to show what he can do at this level by the time AFCON rolls around.
And so to this season. The stock of this season’s outstanding blue away shirt had sold out before the squad numbers were confirmed. Fittingly, mine arrived last week after the restock, just before the Chelsea game. It bears the name ‘Talbi’, the young Belgian-born Moroccan who arrived this summer from Club Brugge with a burgeoning reputation. It was a very satisfying feeling to be standing in the upper tier of The Shed at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, in the 93rd minute!
I think I have had a pretty good run over the last five years, and I am feeling quietly confident that Chemsdine Talbi will prove to be just as influential as the players I have chosen previously.
What is equally pleasing is that all those young players remain at the Stadium of Light. We may be fishing in a more expensive pool these days, but the importance of bringing through young players from our Academy and picking up the most promising talent from elsewhere remains crucial to our model of operating.
As we occupy a deservedly lofty position in the league, we can definitely say ‘the kids are all right’.
