Robbie Stockdale has hailed the benefits of Sunderland’s involvement in the 2016-17 Checkatrade Trophy.
The Black Cats start their campaign with a trip to Rochdale on Tuesday evening (KO 7.45Pm) with a number of first-team players set to feature alongside the club’s under-23s.
Stockdale will take charge of the team with under-23 boss Andy Welsh also involved, with David Moyes emphasising the importance of the competition to his coaching staff during a well-drilled build-up.
Speaking to safc.com, Stockdale explained how Sunderland will use the newly-formatted tournament to benefit the club from the academy to the first team.
“It’s an exciting tournament and competition-wise it is what the players at that level are craving,” explained Stockdale. “I noticed that quite a few of the results were mixed last week so we’re not entirely sure what kind of personnel we will be playing against, but we’re 100% sure it will be a committed Rochdale side who don’t want us to go there and win the match.
“We’ll treat it like any other competition and we want to go as far as we can; in terms of the benefits our young players will play against senior pros and to actually have something at the end of the tournament – a final – will add a real edge you don’t get with friendly games.”
He continued: “It also gives us the opportunity to play some of the senior players in a more even mix, so it looks more like a proper game and it will feel like a real match with something at the end of it.
“In my time here I can’t remember a time when the academy and first team have been so strong together, and the manager is very keen on this tournament and that the players get the right messages through – from myself, Andy Welsh and Cliff Byrne – that he wants to preach.
“We’ve prepared the team just like it was a senior game and there are no doubts in our eyes about the fixture.”
