Sunderland fans have a new fan favourite in the making; Chris Rigg.
If he’s not already a favourite among Sunderland fans, then Chris Rigg is certainly on his way to becoming so.
The 17-year-old has started the last three Championship games for the Black Cats and is rapidly cementing his place in Regis Le Bris’ XI.
Last time out, Sunderland beat Portsmouth 3-1, and Rigg once again earned praise for his performance.
Labelled a ‘generational player’, Rigg is showing his nous in the middle of the park, with his sharp turns and neat passing making the transition between defence and attack effortless.
But at just 17 years old, Le Bris needs to take caution with Rigg. He needs to ensure that nothing comes too soon for the youngster, who signed his first professional contract in the summer.
Under contract at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2027, Rigg will hope to make this season his proper breakthrough in the Sunderland first-team, after featuring 21 times in the Championship last season, scoring twice.
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Regis Le Bris outlines game-time plan for Chris Rigg at Sunderland
Speaking to Sunderland Echo, Le Bris outlined his plans for Rigg this season, and how often he plans to play him.
Given Rigg’s impressive start, there’s no reason for Le Bris to drop him, other than to rest him.
And that’s exactly what Le Bris looks set to do, following the deadline day arrival of midfielders Milan Aleksic and Salis Abdul Samed.
Le Bris said: “We need to be clear on the way he [Rigg] can recover after games and we want to build a midfield that can maintain the level right across the whole season.
“Three players is not enough. With five, we can rotate the triangle and have the possibility to play three games and then maybe in the fourth you can have a rest and be a substitute.
“This is definitely a possibility for us now.”
Sunderland must avoid Jobe Bellingham pitfall with Chris Rigg
Jobe Bellingham is another exciting youngster in the midfield ranks at Sunderland.
Last season, the 18-year-old featured 45 times in the Championship, and at times it looked as though he was crying out for a rest.
But last season’s managers couldn’t rest Bellingham as often as needed, given the lack of depth and quality in midfield.
Now with Samed and Aleksic, as well as Alan Browne and Ian Poveda in the mix, Le Bris has enough midfield options to give Rigg the rest he needs so that he can be impactful throughout the season.
Right now, both Rigg and Sunderland seem to be on very positive trajectories.