Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson knows what it takes to progress at the club, and he’s tipped a young teammate to do the same.
Over the last two years, Anthony Patterson has established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Sunderland, and is now regarded as one of the best outside the top flight.
The 24-year-old, a product of the Sunderland academy, is a key player in Regis Le Bris’ squad, and could play a huge part in helping the Black Cats achieve promotion this year.
While Patterson himself still has room for improvement, he’s keeping a close eye on the young players coming through the club behind him, and had high praise for one colleague.
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Matty Young has a bright future at Sunderland
Speaking to The Sunderland Echo, Patterson was asked about the future of Matty Young, and tipped the 18-year-old to go right to the top after a bright start to his career.
“Matty is a really good goalkeeper,” Patterson said. “Obviously, he’s still very young and he’s out on loan at the minute. But yeah, Matty still comes in and trains with us every now and again, and he’s still looking very good and I think Matty will go far.”
When asked if Young can emulate his own success, or even that of Sunderland academy graduate Jordan Pickford, Patterson added: “Yeah, I think so, yeah. I don’t see why not.”
The club clearly agrees with Patterson’s sentiments, as Matty Young signed a new contract this week that will keep him at Sunderland until 2028.
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Sunderland might need Matty Young sooner rather than later
If Patterson continues on his own trajectory right now, it may be time for Matty Young to step up in the very near future.
Multiple Premier League clubs have been keeping tabs on the Sunderland stopper, with Manchester United thought to be sending scouts to watch Patterson regularly.
| Statistics | Anthony Patterson 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 13 |
| Goals conceded | 10 |
| Saves | 31 |
| Save % | 79.5 |
| Pass completion % | 67.7 |
While Sunderland do have the likes of Simon Moore in reserve, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Black Cats would turn to another academy product to step in between the sticks if Patterson were to move on.
The club is renowned for developing great talent, and with the likes of Chris Rigg making a huge impact already at just 17-years-old, there’s no reason why Young can’t follow a similar path very soon.