Owen Gamble is delighted to be back on the grass and has already set his sights on helping Sunderland under-18s turn their season around ahead of the festive break.
The second-year scholar impressed last term as the youth team were pipped at the post for a top four finish by Blackburn Rovers.
Since then a personnel overhaul has seen a host of new players join the youth team as a fresh faced side have attempted to pit their wits in the U18 Premier League.
However, Gamble has endured a frustrating opening few months to the campaign as he has had to settle for a place on the treatment table.
The full-back made his long-awaited return to action last weekend as the under-18s defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers, and now the 17-year-old is already targeting more minutes and more wins.
“It was great to be back out there and I think by the way I was running about everyone could probably see how eager I was to make the most of it,” he said.
“When I came on we were winning 1-0 and that was what I was tasked with keeping it at. We didn’t want to concede and at the end of the game all the lads were buzzing with it.”
He continued: “It was great to be part of it and help the lads to get the win. It was important but we know we need to go again this Friday because West Brom are a side we can take points off.
"That has to be our aim now, to pick up as many points as we can. We need to keep this winning mentality because it's important we look to climb the league and look to make the most of the games we have coming up before Christmas."
