On Boxing Day 2006, Roy Keane’s Sunderland overcame Dennis Wise’s Leeds 2-0 at the Stadium of Light, with goals from David Connolly and Grant Leadbitter clinching the win as Leeds assistant coach and future Sunderland manager Gus Poyet was sent to the stands. On the same day, Sunderland U21 striker Trey Ogunsuyi was born, and after adjusting to how old that has made you feel, you can look at a Belgian forward who is developing into a promising player with plenty of skill. In the case of Ogunsuyi, the statistics speak for themselves.
This season, he has nine goals in eight games for the U18s and U21s, including two in a National League Cup match against Tamworth. Playing against older players is always beneficial to our young players, as the Lads defeated the National League team 5–0. Ogunsuyi has the potential to be a top centre forward, and he’s working and getting experience alongside some of our more senior attackers at a time when we’re doing well in this area. His goal-scoring instinct is strong, as evidenced by seventeen goals and two assists in just over forty academy appearances.
The striker is only in his second season with the most senior academy teams, but it appears that he has an impact practically every time he plays. Our academy has produced several outstanding players in recent years, with three becoming first-team regulars and others on the margins. It’s been a long since we produced a striker from our academy who appeared to possess the majority of the characteristics you seek for in a forward. Despite playing against fifth-tier defenders, Ogunsuyi appeared physically and technically sound and not out of place. In fairness, the same could be said for the majority of these players, but strikers must have a certain level of savvy while facing huge center backs.
Ogunsuyi is seventeen and leads the line for Belgium’s U19s, a country with a strong track record of developing young talent. After been named in two senior teams this year, he appears to be on the verge of joining the Sunderland first team. Given the three or four strikers ahead of him, a loan transfer to senior football would be ideal, but Sunderland is the only team in the Championship capable of transforming his raw talent into actual quality. Sunderland is now known for developing young players, and stories linking Chris Rigg and Jobe to major European teams demonstrate that we are doing so effectively.
We may also look forward to the next generation of talent rising from the academy, which includes Ogunsuyi. Tommy Watson is another, with several others vying to be the next to succeed. Ogunsuyi is a striker with a quality touch who has the potential to become a top footballer. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets first-team minutes this season, becoming yet another example of Sunderland recognizing talent and allowing players to grow.
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