Alex Neil has brought a crop of youngsters to Portugal to work alongside his senior squad during Sunderland's pre-season training camp. The Black Cats flew out yesterday for a week-long stay on the Algarve, which will combine warm-weather training with two friendlies against Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, and Jose Mourinho's Roma.
Sunderland's entire first-team squad has made the trip, including new defensive signing Daniel Ballard who completed his move from Arsenal to Wearside last week. But with so many players leaving Sunderland, either at the end of their contracts or because their loan period had expired, Neil's squad is short on numbers and that has meant half-a-dozen players from the club's development squad have travelled and will have an opportunity to catch the eye.
With the departures of Lee Burge and the on-loan Thorben Hoffmann over the summer, Anthony Patterson is Sunderland's only senior goalkeeper at present, and that has meant 21-year-old ex-Manchester United youngster Jacob Carney - who was a regular for the U23s last term, and also played one EFL Trophy game, and was included on the bench in the league a handful of times - and 18-year-old academy graduate Adam Richardson have travelled to work alongside Patterson under goalkeeping coach Mark Prudhoe.
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Irish midfielder Caden Kelly is also here, with the 18-year-old having impressed for the U23s football last season, and having also featured as a late substitute in an EFL Trophy game. Academy graduate Ellis Taylor is part of the squad, with the 19-year-old midfielder rewarded after spending last season on the fringes of the first-team squad, when he featured three times in the EFL Trophy and once in the Carabao Cup.
Midfielder Harrison Sohna, 20, has also made the trip, having started three EFL Trophy games last term and also been a regular in the U23s. And Michael Spellman, who joined the club from Chester-le-Street United this summer following a successful trial in the second half of last season, is also here. The 19-year-old winger played numerous times for the U23s last season, with his performances earning him a one-year deal with the club.
Amongst the backroom team to have made the trip are Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor, who coached the U23s last season and will be keeping an especially keen eye on the youngsters who have travelled to Portugal.
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