Development coach Cliff Byrne believes the experience of playing in the Checkatrade trophy will prove invaluable to Sunderland’s young guns.
The Black Cats enter the English Football League competition first time as part of a revamp, and will take on Rochdale, Hartlepool United and Notts County in Northern Group F over the next few weeks.
With preparations in full swing ahead of the lads’ trip to the Crown Oil Arena on Tuesday, Byrne, who previously played in the competition for Oldham Athletic and Scunthorpe United, told safc.com it will be a great opportunity for the youngsters to test themselves against seasoned professionals.
“It’s very important for their development because it gives them the chance to come up against senior professionals who know the dark arts of the game,” he said.
“They have been around the block, they know how to win football games because they play to win every week.”
He continued: “It’s going to be a challenging task for our boys because they are going to come up against lads who have played 200-300 games.
“The new angle means category one teams are presented with three games against Football League teams, in some ways that can mirror a mini loan and it’s a great opportunity for them to pit their wits against them.”