‘Young has a bright future and a real chance to compete for No.1 spot’
Mike Dodds believes Sunderland youngster
Matty Young has a 'proper chance' of making it in toplevel football, and says no one should rule out him competing for a place on Wearside next season.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper is building a strong reputation in the game as a youth international who turned down interest from the Premier League to sign his first professional contract at the club earlier this season.
Young then went out on loan to Darlington, where has performed exceptionally well in his first taste of senior football.
He has been an integral part of Steve Watson's side, who have produced a strong run of form to secure an unlikely escape from relegation trouble in the National League North with one game still to play.
Young will be handed a chance to impress in preseason and while another loan move looks to be the most likely next step at this early stage, Sunderland's interim head coach says he could yet play his way into contention.
Either way, Dodds believes he has a bright future so long as he stays focused and humble.
“Can Matty [Young] come back and challenge for a firstteam goalkeeping spot next season? Yeah, why not? Chris Rigg is a first-year scholar, and I’ve played him against Southampton, Leicester and Leeds this season," Dodd said.
"I know people might say that the goalkeeping position is a bit different, but the ball is always in the player’s court. If he comes back and is unbelievable, then one thing that this football club has shown is that under this model and this ownership, they will give young players opportunities and will not be scared of that.
"If he comes back, and he’s better than the current No.1, whether that be Patto [Anthony Patterson] or whoever, then he’ll get an opportunity to play.
"If that opportunity is not there, then maybe it’ll be a case of looking at another loan.
"I understand the argument that goalkeepers can be hard debuts to give just because of the nature of the position or the pitch. But if you’re asking me from a personal perspective, then if I felt Matty was ready, psychologically and mentally to play at the Stadium of Light as a 17-year-old or 18-yearold, I wouldn’t have any qualms at all about playing him.
"The ball’s in his court,"
Dodds added.
"It depends on how good he is when he comes back in the summer, but he’s a wonderful player, and I think Matty Young has got a real chance.
"I think he could go all the way to the top, but like all young players, that’ll ultimately be dependent on how he manages his head."
While Sunderland's other youngsters out on loan have endured more mixed fortunes, Dodds says that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't be able to play a part in the squad next season.
Jewison Bennette's spell in Greece has been impacted by injury, while Eliezer Mayenda has also had limited game time at Hibernian. Nectar Triantis has had more time on the pitch for the Edinburgh club, impressing at times in a holding midfield role.
Sunderland will also have to weigh up the next steps for the likes of Joe Anderson and Zak Johnson, currently on loan at Shrewsbury Town and Dundalk respectively.
Dodds says the challenges of a loan spell can often be as