Cats boss encouraged by Academy’s level of quality

Jack Ross has been impressed with the level of quality being produced by Sunderland’s Academy – and says pre-season is the proof.

Sunderland have fielded a series of youngsters in the first team in the games against Darlington, Hartlepool United and Grimsby Town.

Under-23 regulars Max Stryjek, Denver Hume and Brandon Taylor played in the 1-0 win over Grimsby, with more youngsters coming off the bench including 16-year-old Bali Mumba and Benjamin Kimpioka.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s friendly at St Mirren, Ross said: “The academy is such a good place, but so vast that my contact time would be less with them than previously.

“James [Fowler, assistant] and John [Potter] will go and watch them train, I try to do it too, but it can be difficult given my time constraints.

“They watched the 18s train on the morning of the Grimsby game, I trust them, their feedback is important.

“I saw them play at Sunderland RCA last week once I’d found the ground! - and that is good as it lets me see them first hand.

“Young Brandon, he was really good and did really well.

“It is all progression for them and Bali never stops doing things that a 16-yearold probably shouldn’t do.

“It is encouraging, it is probably a lot to say you’d rely on them for the season, but encouraging to know you have them in the club.

“If you can manage them properly and look at what is best for them, whether that it is staying with us and progressing.

“For some of those older ones it may be going out on loan and if that is the case we will do that, it is important for us moving forward that we keep producing players.a

“There are some very good players in the academy and that has been highlighted with these preseason games too.”