Cats sanction loan departures for youngsters Patterson and Wilding
Anthony Patterson has returned to Notts County on loan for the rest of the season.
The highly-rated goalkeeper made his league debut for Sunderland earlier this season in a 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon, and is viewed as a long-term contender for the number one shirt on Wearside.
Thorben Hoffmann’s arrival saw the 21-year-old move to Notts County in search of regular game time, initially on a short-team deal.
He made such an impression that the move was extended, and brought to an early conclusion only when Lee Burge suffered a hip flexor injury.
With Burge now back in the fold, Lee Johnson has sanctioned Patterson’s return to the National League, where he will look to lead the push for promotion.
Sunderland believe it is an ideal place for him to develop, given the stature of the club and also the expansive playing style deployed by head coach Ian Burchnall.
Burchnall also has close links to the senior coaching staff at Sunderland, having worked with David Preece during his time at Ostersunds FK in Sweden.
Sunderland have also sanctioned a short-term loan deal for Under-23s midfielder Sam Wilding, who has featured in the Papa John’s Trophy this season.
Wilding has moved to Leamington FC, who currently
sit 10th in the National League North, three points outside the play-off places.
Explaining the moves, Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman has confirmed that the club retains recall clauses in both deals.
"Anthony was doing extremely well at Meadow Lane before injuries dictated that he needed to be recalled, but we retained an open dialogue
with Notts County and they have been fully supportive throughout this process,” Speakman said.
"Although there were alternative moves on the table, we believe this remains the best fit to ensure Anthony’s development continues.
"Likewise, we were conscious about the need for Sam to gain more minutes and valuable experience in a competitive senior environment, so this is an excellent opportunity for him to progress.
"We retain a recall option on both players to ensure we are fully protected in continually uncertain times.”
Burchnall added: “Everyone could see Anthony’s quality in the short time he spent with us.
“Having him back is a huge boost as it means we now have two excellent senior goalkeepers competing with each other for their place in the team.
“At a time when Covid could strike anyone at any time, and with a busy second half of the season approaching, it’s crucial we have strength in depth in all areas and Patto’s return certainly gives us that in the goalkeeping department.
“As mentioned at the time of his recall, we have maintained close dialogue with Sunderland and we’d like to say a big thank you to them for trusting us with Patto’s continued development.
"It’s great that they appreciate the progress he made while working with us and we look forward to bringing him on even further in the months ahead.”