“I mean this respectfully, but you then either move them on because the club want to progress and get better in that position, or you loan them out again and say, ‘Right, you’re missing in these areas, so you need to go and get game time’. I wouldn’t say there’s anyone in particular I’d pick out at the moment. The one I’m always interested in seeing when the loan players come back in the summer is whether they come back a little bit more mature and have a better understanding of what professional football is all about. It’ll be a really interesting summer for those ones who are coming back, and you normally see a slight difference in their character, which I think is really important.”
sunderland afc
Mike Dodds names the Sunderland youngster with a ‘proper chance’ of making the grade – next season & beyond.
Matty Young, a young player from Sunderland, has a “proper chance,” according to Mike Dodds, and nobody should count out him contending for a spot on Wearside the next season.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper, who earlier this season turned down a Premier League offer to accept his first professional deal at the club, is gaining a solid name in the game as a youth international. After that, Young was sent on loan to Darlington, where he has made a remarkable impression in his first experience playing senior football. With one game remaining, he has been a crucial member of Steve Watson’s team, which has put together a great run of performance to secure an unexpected escape from relegation jeopardy in the National League North.
Young will have an opportunity to shine throughout the preseason, and although another loan move seems like the most sensible course of action at this early point, the interim head coach of Sunderland believes he still has a chance to make an impact. In any case, Dodds thinks that as long as he maintains his focus and humility, he has a bright future.
“Is Matty [Young] able to return and contend for a starting goalkeeping position in the upcoming season? Yes, exactly. Why not? I’ve played first-year scholar Chris Rigg this season against Southampton, Leicester, and Leeds,” Dodd remarked.
“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 number one, 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-year-old, 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.”
Even while the other Sunderland youth players on loan have had more uneven results, Dodds argues that doesn’t always mean they won’t be able to contribute to the team the next season.
Injury has affected Jewison Bennette’s time in Greece, and Eliezer Mayenda’s playing time at Hibernian has also been restricted. With greater playing time for the Edinburgh club, Nectar Triantis has shown promise in a holding midfield role.
Additionally, Sunderland will need to consider what to do with players like Zak Johnson and Joe Anderson, who are presently on loan at Shrewsbury Town and Dundalk, respectively.
Dodds says the challenges of a loan spell can often be as beneficial as the positives, and expects all to return with greater maturity this summer. That, he feels, might help them as they look to kick of when the first-team squad come back for pre-season training.
“Going and experiencing a different environment and not doing well can sometimes be a positive,” Dodds remarked in reference to the loans.
“It’s not always the case that a player goes abroad, performs admirably, and when they return, you instantly believe they’re the one.
“For a loan player, it can occasionally be very beneficial to go out, learn new things, and then realize, ‘Okay, I need to get better at this.'” Even the ones who have been in and out more frequently will, in my opinion, have had some incredibly significant experiences. Some of them have played frequently. Dodds continued.
“Young players are the only ones who have left. Each of them will have a chance to convince us that they belong on the squad or team when they return in the summer. If so, that’s fantastic; we’ll keep them on and they’ll develop into a first-team member. In the event that they haven’t, they have two options.
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