Ben Carr reveals how Sunderland beat Newcastle to Chris Rigg | OneFootball

Former Newcastle and Sunderland academy coach Ben Carr says Sunderland edged the early battle for Chris Rigg through relationships, trust and a clear support network at the Academy of Light. According to Sunderland Echo, those factors persuaded the family despite Rigg’s father being a Newcastle supporter.

Carr now runs NE Coaching Co and has worked on both sides of the North East divide. He served in Sunderland roles including lead academy performance analyst, assistant lead foundation phase coach and lead foundation phase coach after a spell in Newcastle’s academy.

Rigg, who turned 19 this month, trained with both clubs during pre-academy, which allows players to work with multiple set-ups before signing. Carr regarded him as one of the best in the country for his age group, so securing him became a genuine contest with Newcastle also eager.

He believes Sunderland’s pitch rested on nurturing relationships with the Riggs and demonstrating a strong support and development pathway on Wearside.

Rigg joined a Sunderland senior squad at 15 in January 2023 amid injuries, then made his professional debut days later in an FA Cup win at Shrewsbury Town. That appearance made him the club’s second-youngest player behind Derek Forster.

He went on to become Sunderland’s youngest-ever goalscorer and the youngest scorer in EFL Cup history against Crewe Alexandra in August 2023. He also scored on his league debut against Southampton, breaking a record that had stood for more than 50 years. Rigg has since won EFL awards, helped Sunderland win promotion and made his Premier League breakthrough, including his first top-flight goal against Aston Villa.

Source: Sunderland Echo