SUNDERLAND interim head coach Mike Dodds feels Chris Rigg would be’mad’ to leave the Black Cats this summer, with the teenager set to sign his first professional contract in June.
The 16-year-old has yet to sign professional agreements with the club since he cannot do so until he is 17 – which is on June 18 – but the youngster is said to have agreed on the terms of a deal while signing his scholarship paperwork last summer.
The emerging talent has piqued the interest of a number of top-tier teams after performing for the Black Cats in previous years, establishing himself as a starter under Dodds in the latter part of this season, forcing the midfielder to make a decision.
Rigg will be free to talk professional contracts with interested sides, but Sunderland is hoping that his first-team experience this season will help them.
“I’m not in any of those type of discussions so I don’t know exactly what the situation is but I love to Riggy to bits and he knows my thoughts – if he doesn’t sign, I think he’s mad – that’s my personal opinion,” Dodds went on to say.
“If you’re a young footballer, Sunderland is a fantastic opportunity right now because of the trust we place in young players and the opportunities we provide, as well as the work we do behind the scenes to develop the young players we have, and it’s not only Riggy; look at Dan Neil, Trai Hume, and Dan Ballard.
“His performances are slowly maturing and if he feels right now that there’s somewhere else better for him, I’d like to see where that is to be honest. I just think this is a wonderful club to be a young player at the moment.”
The Black Cats will go through another transitional period this summer, appointing a new head coach the first job of the hierarchy. Dodds believes whoever comes through the door must have an understanding of player development given the age of the squad, but has no doubts they’ll rate Rigg highly.
“Whoever they recruit as the next head coach, and you know as much as I do in terms of that appointment – they are going to have to have an understanding of player development and working with young players,” Dodds said.
“It’s a young bunch, so you’re not going to bring in someone who is the complete antithesis of that. So, if someone has a background in player development, which they will, they will immediately recognise Chris Rigg as a fantastic talent with enormous potential.
“So, that isn’t even something that’s crossed my mind because whoever this next person will be will have that background.”
