ETHAN DELIGHTED TO PEN NEW CATS DEAL
SUNDERLAND HAND MIDFIELDER ROBSON CONTRACT UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2020
Promising Sunderland midfielder Ethan Robson has signed a new two-year deal.
The 21-year-old has broken into the first team this season after making his first team debut in a Carabao Cup tie at Everton last September when Simon Grayson was in charge.
Robson has gone on to make a further eight appearances, the bulk of those under Chris Coleman and he has been rewarded with a new deal.
“I’m over the moon and buzzing to get the deal done,” said Robson.
“It is great for me personally and it’s something I’ve been wanting to get done.
“I’ve been here since I was eight. I would like to commit my future to the club. I am a Sunderland fan and I want to do as well as I can for the club.”
His previous contract was due to expire this summer with reports Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic were keeping tabs on the midfielder.
Sunderland have moved quickly to tie him down to a new deal which will keep him on Wearside until 2020.
Robson has been with Sunderland since the age of eight, rising through the club’s academy structure.
He made his first start in the FA Cup defeat away to Middlesbrough in January.
Sunderland are away to QPR in the Championship tomorrow, with Loftus Road boss Ian Holloway looking to build on the boost of Massimo Luongo’s late leveller in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Derby.
And he hopes the fans can makeanotherbigimpression against Sunderland, after the noisy atmosphere inspired the midweek comeback.
Looking back to the Derby game, Holloway said: “I want to thank the fans because they stuck with us.
“They stuck with us after a really disappointing result here last time out.
“They could see we gave it a go and we got the very least we deserved in the end. “I felt we played well. “We changed our shape and I think it worked well.
“We were the better team. We created the better chances.
“It’s a good point. A good comeback after a very poor performance against Forest.”
Everton right-back Seamus Coleman is back in the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time since suffering an horrific double leg fracture in March last year.
The 29-year-old has been included by manager Martin O’Neill in a 30-man group for the friendly clash with Turkey on March 23, a day short of a year since his injury.
There are places too for Preston duo Greg Cunningham and Sean Maguire and Brentford’s Alan Judge after injury, while O’Neill will also run the rule over a number of young players during a three-day training camp in Antalya as he plans for the future after signing his new contract.
Manchester United goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara, West Ham defender Declan Rice, Blackburn duo Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams, and Sheffield United’s Enda Stevens have all been handed senior call-ups.
Sunderland veteran John O’Shea has not been included.