Young talents want to stay on Wearside

JACK Ross is not worried young talents Denver Hume, Elliot Embleton and Max Stryjek have yet to commit their futures to Sunderland beyond the summer.

The trio of academy graduates are in the final few months of their current contracts and Ross has reiterated he wants them to stay on Wearside.

Ross has spoken to all three players and believes they are happy to stay.

The manager held a meeting with head of recruitment Tony Coton and head of football operations Richard Hill at the beginning of January in which the contract situations of some of the Black Cats’ young players were discussed.

Yet contract negotiations with agents take time and Ross is not losing any sleep over the delay.

He said: “I want to keep them here – that is the first part of the process.

“I think they want to stay here. Then the process becomes more complicated but I would hope there will be a resolution of it. There is no reason for concern.

“It is like everything, it is out of my hands to a degree but I am quite pragmatic - if agreement cannot be reached then that is life.

“You have to have parameters you work within as a club and if things don’t fit that you have to move on and find another solution.

“I don’t think there is anything sinister, it just takes time for everyone involved to get together and agree.”

Midfielder Embleton has spent the season on loan at League Two Grimsby Town to gain first-team experience and has made 27 appearances and scored four goals for the Mariners.

Kevin Ball has made regular checks on the 19-year-old and Ross is delighted with the reports he has received.

He added: “Elliot I have been pleased with, really pleased with how he has played during his loan spell – I think it has been brilliant for him and he will come back here so much better for it.”

Hume broke into Sunderland’s first team earlier this season and impressed at left-back before picking up a knee ligament injury in September which sidelined him for four months.

Ross is a big admirer of the 22-year-old, likely to be back involved in the Black Cats’ League One campaign any day now.

Goalkeeper Stryjek spent three months on loan at National League Eastleigh and made 13 appearances for the Spitfires before the 22-year-old returned to Wearside in December.