Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Niall Huggins.
The versatile full-back joins the club from Leeds United and puts pen to paper on a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light.
Huggins, 20, made his Premier League debut for Leeds during the 2020-21 campaign, featuring as a second-half substitute against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Born in York, the Wales under-21 international joined the Elland Road outfit in 2009 and rose through the club’s renowned academy system before signing his first professional contract in May 2019.
Huggins, who can operate on both defensive flanks and in central midfield, impressed for Leeds’ under-23s throughout last season, totalling 17 appearances in Premier League 2 whilst also representing the club in the EFL Trophy.
Upon his arrival, Huggins said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be here and as soon as the opportunity arose, I knew straightaway that this was a huge opportunity for me to develop my game. For me, the thing I want to do now is play first-team football, so to have seen some of the young lads coming in and having a chance to prove themselves, and seeing the fans’ reaction to it, is really good and it made me want to come here even more. I’m really excited to get started.”
Lee Johnson added: “Niall is an interesting player and tactically he’s very versatile – he is also very good physically in terms of his speed and acceleration and he’s a good dribbler, whether that’s playing left back or right back. He’s a bright kid and he’s had a very good education at Leeds, but now it’s the right time for him to step into that first-team environment. Niall is another one that we have added to our stable of quality young players, so we are very happy to have him and we’re looking forward to working with him.”