Sunderland have an array of young stars. And Regis Le Bris may be about to unveil another to the Black Cats faithful.
Sunderland have an ever-growing list of talented young players, with the club becoming widely-regarded as one of the best places for youngsters to develop.
Not only in England, but throughout Europe, Sunderland are garnering attention for their emphasis on younger footballers, with Sunderland ranking 20th in Europe for minutes given to U21 players.
Not only that, but a recent study named Jobe Bellingham and Milan Aleksic among the top 100 youngsters in the world right now, showcasing not only the amount of youth in the Sunderland first-team, but the quality too.
There’s players coming to the Academy of Light and players coming through it too, with the likes of Tom Watson looking to follow in the footsteps of teammates Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, and Chris Rigg.
Watson looks like the next best youngster to come through the ranks. But Regis Le Bris has his eye on another who could soon make an impression at the Stadium of Light.
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Regis Le Bris excited by Trey Ogunsuyi development at Sunderland
Another Sunderland academy man who joined Watson on the bench for the 1-0 win vs Middlesbrough was Trey Ogunsuyi.
The 18-year-old striker has been an unnamed substitute for the last two games but is yet to make his senior debut for the Black Cats.
Despite that, Le Bris says he has high hopes for the Belgian youngster, telling The Northern Echo after Middlesbrough: “It was a great opportunity for him [Ogunsuyi].
“At the minute, he is still a young player who needs to discover more about our environment and the experience of being with professional players.
“Especially for an away game, it was a very interesting opportunity for him. He needs time to develop, for sure. But he has many qualities and he is a very interesting player for the future.”
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Aaron Connolly arrival may be bad new for Trey Ogunsuyi
Having seen how Watson has been a regular on the bench this season, but is yet to play a single minute in the Championship, Ogunsuyi may be worried about his chances of playing in the Championship this season.
The striker department is one lacking depth right now, with Ahmed Abdullahi injured following his deadline day arrival, and now Sunderland look set to sign Aaron Connolly on a free transfer.
That could throw Ogunsuyi even further down the pecking order. We may not even see the youngster in Championship action this season, should Connolly stay fit, but it’s good to have youngsters knocking on the door of the first-team.
Ogunsuyi could well be the next one to make a splash, and long-term, he could be the answer to Sunderland’s ongoing striker woes.