MIKE DODDS has advised Sunderland fans to “get excited” about Chris Rigg after the teenager earned his Championship debut in yesterday night’s 1-0 loss to Leicester City.
Despite not turning 17 until June, Rigg was given his full league debut against the Championship leaders at the Stadium of Light.
He reacted with a disciplined and mature midfield performance in which he tirelessly carried out his defensive duties as Sunderland effectively calmed Leicester’s early attacking storm while also becoming a more prominent attacking force as the game progressed.
Rigg has had to wait his turn since signing his first professional deal with the Black Cats last summer, having burst onto the scene while still in school the previous season.
Dodds and the rest of Sunderland’s coaching staff have never doubted his ability, and there’s a high chance he’ll have plenty more opportunities to impress in the final ten games of the season.
“I really liked his (Rigg) performance,” remarked the temporary Black Cats coach. “I thought he was really selfless in terms of the out-of-possession situation because they changed one or two things that we didn’t expect.
“I thought Riggy handled it really nicely. The idea was to squeeze an hour out of him, but I knew he was going to the well. “I knew he’d give us everything, so I thought it was a good game for him, because we needed everyone to empty the tank.”I just thought he was so good in the second half that I kept him on for as long as I could, despite the fact that he’s a first-year scholar. People should be thrilled about Riggy. I’m looking forward to working with him over the next few years; I believe he has the potential to be a great talent.”
While acknowledging that his team sorely needs to end a five-game losing streak, Dodds saw a lot of other positives in their recent defeat.
He was thrilled with his team’s spirit as they battled their way back into the game, as well as their calm as they attempted to equalise in the second half.
He also thought Sunderland’s substitutions had a great impact, with Adil Aouchiche receiving special recognition. While the Frenchman has not started a game since December, he should be able to return to the starting lineup for Saturday’s game at Southampton.
“I thought Adil was excellent when he came on,” Dodds added. “We’ve got Adil in a good spot in terms of concentration, and I told him after the game, ‘You’ve got to stay on this path now; you can’t change direction.'” I was particularly pleased with Adil and the impact he had coming off the bench.”
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