Big-hearted youngster Shields hoping to catch new manager’s eye

Promising striker Connor Shields is hoping Jack Ross will live up to his reputation of giving young players a chance.

The 20-year-old, who joined Sunderland’s Under-23 ranks in January, returned early for preseason training in a bid to catch the new manager’s eye.

The young Scot is well aware of the impact his fellow countryman made north of the border with St Mirren,

Shields signed an 18-month contract at Sunderland when he arrived on Wearside from the Scottish League One side Albion Rovers on deadline day in January after the Black Cats beat off competition from Premier League and Championship clubs to land his signature.

Shields made his impact on the Under-23s in his first six months at the club, but the striker is now hoping for more first team opportunities this season. “The move has been brilliant,” said Shields. “The first couple of months were about settling in and getting used to training every day with the higher demands. “It’s been a good challenge, but I played every 23s game after joining.

“Hopefully I can have a good pre-season and do well enough to get noticed by the first team.

“I never met Jack in Scotland. We’re due back in on June 25, but I came down early and I’ll see if I can introduce myself, see what he expects, then go away and work at it.

“Jack did a brilliant job at St Mirren, so hopefully he can do the same thing at Sunderland. They’re a massive club.

“If he can get us playing the same kind of football St Mirren played he’ll get us back to the Championship and, hopefully, the Premier League.

“He gave young players a chance at St Mirren so hopefully he does the same.”

Shields, meanwhile, has made a donation to help Scottish part-timers Albion Rovers continue to fund their youth system.

“It’s a donation for the club and the youth system,” Shields told the Scottish Sun.

“Last year they were really struggling to keep the 20s going.

“I was at Albion Rovers’ boys club the first year they did the 20s and that’s when I got my chance, under Darren Young.

“I’ll forever be grateful to them for getting my chance.”