Kristjaan Speakman has commented on the uncertainties surrounding Chris Rigg’s future at the club. Sunderland have made a fantastic start to life under new manager Regis Le Bris, with the Frenchman particularly showing signs of getting the most out of his younger players. The Black Cats’ midfield, in particular, has been transformed, with Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham displaying significant signs of promise in the heart of the ground, and both are now expected to represent England at some time during their careers. Sunderland will undoubtedly profit in the short term from having such a brilliant midfield tandem, but it will likely prove to be a double-edged sword, with the two set to attract interest in January.
Sunderland Director Kristjaan Speakman warns Chris Rigg. The Black Cats have already received interest in midfield prospect Rigg this summer, with Premier League and European clubs keeping an eye on the youngster. As a result, there is much confusion over the 17-year-old’s future, prompting Kristjaan Speakman to clarify Rigg’s situation. According to the Second Tier Podcast on X, Speakman stated: “Look, I think I’ve always been a huge believer in young athletes, but we have to be very careful not to feast on them and oversubscribe to excellence.
“We don’t put a ceiling on where players can get but everybody has to reach their ceiling and for some players that will be the champions league and for some players that will be League Two and Chris [Rigg] has the credentials if you like and the mentality to play at the highest level.”It’s a difficult shift to make, which is why so few people do it, and we’ll do everything we can while he’s with us to improve it and, of course, help him reach the maximum level.
“On the way through, there’ll be people who’ll be sceptical, but the player has to be a dreamer, he has to keep the same mentality he had when he came through the door dreaming about playing for Sunderland and him, Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson are all doing it, which is obviously fantastic.”
Chris Rigg exemplifies the magnificent state of Sunderland. Since Speakman and Kyril-Louis Dreyfus joined Wearside, there has been a lot of focus on the importance of developing young players and selling them for a lot of money, with the latter clearly being the objective throughout the transfer window. The Black Cats have done an excellent job of developing young players, and Rigg exemplifies the club’s success under Speakman’s philosophy.
As a team stuck in League One, there was little hope that the following years would see Sunderland fighting to return to the Premier League, but that has certainly not been the case, as the club’s current strategies have improved its financial situation while also assisting in the development of the best players from the academy.
Leave a Reply