Sunderland have signed one of their best young prospects up to a new contract

Sunderland have been handed a major contract boost after youngster Marcus Neill opted to sign his first professional contract at the club.

Neill has been prolific since arrival from Liverpool, with 48 goal contributions in 67 appearances. Son of former Premier League stalwart Lucas, Neill has been a standout player in his age groups in recent times and was involved as a Sunderland XI drew 1-1 with South Shields over the weekend.

The youngster said it was the proudest moment of his career to date and thanked the academy coaches for their support since his arrival.

“It’s the proudest moment in my career so far,” Neill said.

“It’s a good milestone to have but now I just need to keep pushing on to the first-team and have a good career in the game. As a person and a player, I’ve developed a lot. The coaches have been really helpful for me, and they’ve kept me going and kept me humble along the way. I’ve had two really good seasons, and I’m looking to push on and get as far as I can.”

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Academy manager John Hewiston said the club were excited to see how Neill would develop as a player in the years ahead.

“Marcus has excelled with the U18s and has impressed when he has made the step up to the U21s,” Hewitson said.

“He has a real knack for scoring goals and we are really excited to see how he continues to develop as a player and as a person.”

The announcement completes an excellent summer for Sunderland in terms of the retention of their best young players. Striker Finn Geragusian signed his first pro deal despite significant interest from other clubs while there were also new deals agreed for players such as Jack Whittaker and Felix Scott.

Sunderland’s U21 group fly out to Spain this week for a training camp that will also include a fixture against Valencia B. With the club’s World Cup cohort still on a break following their involvement in the competition, it’s expected that a number of those who featured at York City on Saturday will travel to the US.

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