Cats young guns staking claim for first-team action - Dickman

SUNDERLAND U23 manager Elliott Dickman believes there are one or two of his players knocking on the door for first-team action.

He says when a new manager comes in at Sunderland he’ll be happy to make recommendations, but admits it will take the new boss time to get to know his squad and assess what he has and what he needs.

Sunderland are currently without a manager after Simon Grayson was sacked 13 days ago. The search for his replacement goes on.

Grayson showed no reluctance in using some of the club’s academy products, with George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch featuring. Josh Maja would likely have seen plenty of game time after an impressive pre-season but for injury.

There are some who feel Grayson should have used more under-23 players though, to reinvigorate the under-performing first-team squad.

The U23s aren’t doing much better though, and sit joint-bottom of the Premier League 2.

But Dickman still believes there’s talent in the academy ranks who could make the step-up.

He said: “It depends on who comes in. The new manager will have to get their feet under the table and assess everything. Their priority will be the first team, and rightly so.

“I think there is one or two knocking on the door that have been in and around it. Tom Beadling and Ethan Robson travelled with the first team to Middlesbrough last weekend.

“I thought Luke Molyneux did well against Grimsby out of position. Elliot Embleton is away on international duty, that is why he didn’t feature at Grimsby, as well as Joel Asoro.

“Elliot scored for England so that is fantastic for him. It is the same sort of names that keep cropping up. I wouldn’t like to say.

“I can recommend but ultimately whoever comes in will have to make that decision themselves.”