Sunderland’s chief replies to talk about in-demand star as West Brom targets Stoke hero

He told the Second Tier podcast: “I’m really, really pleased for him, and hopefully that gives a good inspiration to the other players in our academy system that when given the opportunities there, they’ll be given time on the pitch.” When discussing transfer speculation around Rigg, he added: “The interest is always a backhanded compliment. Would we rather have a team full of talent where everyone is talking about buying and trading our players, or would we rather

“I believe that is not a difficult question to answer. So we aim to place ourselves in the best possible situation regarding our contracts and how we manage our squad. We strive to provide that chance. We strive to be aligned with the players.”I believe I have always stated that occasionally players improve faster than the club, and there will be another opportunity for them. We must respect that. We lost young Jack (Clarke) over the summer, and he moved on to Ipswich, which I believe is how the football system works.”