Kitten to Cat, Rigg at age 15

SUNDERLAND v FULHAM

BY IAN MURTAGH SUNDERLAND will give schoolboy Chris Rigg another chance to create football history tonight.

The 15-year-old midfielder will be a substitute against

Fulham in the fourth round replay, with Black Cats chief Tony Mowbray (below) confirming he plans to throw him on at some stage.

Rigg (above), studying for his GCSES this summer, came off the bench at Craven Cottage and thought he had won it for the the visitors only for his goal to be disallowed.

But the England Under 17 international has another opportunity to become the FA Cup’s youngest-ever goalscorer if Mowbray decides to hand him his first senior appearance at the Stadium of Light.

Despite his age, the Sunderland boss insists he will have no qualms throwing on Rigg.

“I’d have no fear putting him on the pitch again,” said Mowbray, who in the absence of the injured Ross Stewart and Cup-tied Joe Gelhardt, has no recognised strikers available.

“I’ve just watched him training and I wish you could put some of that fire in his belly into some of the other players.

“He gets wellied into everybody. It does not matter about reputations, he just gets stuck in, wins tackles, puts his body in.” Mowbray will tread carefully with Rigg, who has already attracted the attention of Manchester United and Newcastle.

But he believes the youngster is a special talent who could make a difference if the game is level late on.

“I see qualities in him which can help our team at any given moment,” he said. “Chris is still a spindly boy and we have to be careful but I have no worries because he’s not going to be overawed, scared or shy.

“I really like him and I know our supporters are going to love him too.”