The Sunderland Black Cats had a miraculous win in their FA Cup third round tie against League One Shrewsbury, and one man stole the headlines. Chris Rigg, who came off the bench in the 81st minute to replace Frenchman Edouard Michaud, became the youngest outfield player ever to represent the Black Cats at senior level at only 15 years and 283 days old. His performance was praised by manager Tony Mowbray and immediately attracted the attention of Premier League teams such as Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Rigg was promoted to the first team earlier this season and his prodigious talent has already impressed many, including Black Cats midfielder Luke O’Neill. Despite passing through the ranks of Stadium on Light, Rigg comes from a Geordie family and many fans are already sweating at the prospect of losing a potential world champion to their nearest rivals.
Sunderland have made a great start to their return to the Championship and are just 3 points off the play-offs. Forecasters know the temptation to join a Premier League side may be too tempting for the young midfielder, but they hope they can convince him to stay for a while longer. Manchester United will understand that Newcastle remain in an advantageous position to sign the teenager, but the Red Devils could still take the initiative in a transfer with a new owner on the horizon. With all this in mind, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Chris Rigg and how his story develops.
Sunderland had to wait for stoppage time to catch up to League One Shrewsbury in their FA Cup third round tie as they scored twice in two minutes to claim a miracle win, but one man stole the headlines tonight.
Chris Rigg, who came off the bench in the 81st minute to replace Frenchman Edouard Michaud during a dramatic 2-1 win, became the youngest outfield player ever to represent the Black Cats at senior level. Surprisingly, he was only 15 years and 283 days old.
The fresh-faced teenager played a vital role for his side and his manager Tony Mowbray was full of praise for the young prodigy.
“He was on the pitch because he deserved to be on the pitch,” insisted the Sunderland manager in an interview with The Athletic.
“He’s talented and when he trains with us he’s tenacious and wins caps – he doesn’t show a lot of respect for older players. He moves the ball with his left foot and looks smooth when moving it.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and that played a part (in Rigg’s involvement), but the chance comes and everybody needs it. He has done well and we hope he will continue to help us in the league games.”
“I’m sure in the future he will tell everyone and his grandchildren that he went above and beyond and changed the game.”
Almost immediately after his highly publicized debut, Premier League teams such as Manchester United and Newcastle United were linked with Rigg’s signature.
The teenager was promoted to the first team earlier this season and his prodigious talent has already attracted many, including Black Cats midfielder Luke O’Neill, who are convinced there is a real player at the club.
“He came up to the first team, making us all look stupid,” said the 28-year-old.
“It is unbelievable. I don’t know what I did when I was 15… I wasn’t around and I’ll never be at his level.”
Despite passing through the ranks of Stadium on Light, Rigg comes from a Geordie family and many fans are already sweating at the prospect of losing a potential world champion to their nearest rivals.
Sunderland have made a great start to their return to the Championship and are just 3 points off the play-offs.
Forecasters know the temptation to join a Premier League side may be too tempting for the young midfielder, but they hope they can convince him to stay for a while longer.
Manchester United will understand that Newcastle remain in an advantageous position to sign the teenager, but the Red Devils could still take the initiative in a transfer with a new owner on the horizon. Stay tuned for more news on that front soon.
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