The Academy of Light provides players with the facilities to develop but the onus is on the individual to reflect and improve, according to Elliott Dickman.
There has been an influx of academy graduates in the first-team spectrum over the last 18 months, with the much-talked about Jordan Pickford and Duncan Watmore cemented in the senior frame.
But the success of the academy doesn’t stop there.
No fewer than five players have made their Black Cats debut in the last five months, with a regular crop of young talents training with David Moyes’ squad on a daily basis.
Added to that, last month saw Dickman’s side make history as they became the club’s first team to reach a European final, courtesy of Joel Asoro’s match-winning strike at Norwich City.
So what does this say about the club’s outlook on creating player pathways?
“My main job is to make sure the players are progressing,” said Dickman.
“Hopefully one day they’ll play in the first team if not here then somewhere else.
“As an academy we would probably say it’s about trying to get players in the first team and that has to be the number one priority. Personally I’m quite greedy so I want results as well.”
"Perhaps the biggest problem with young English players is they are too pampered and too well rewarded too soon.
“There’s plenty of people within the building who can help the players in various ways.
“You have to be open-minded because if you think you know all the answers you’re going to be in trouble.
“The player has to self-reflect and look at what he wants to improve upon.
“It’s not me telling him he needs to get better at a, b and c. If I need to do that I will but the players need to be self-aware and make their own choices,” he continued.
“We’ve got to be careful we’re not holding their hand to cross the road all the time because if we keep doing that they’ll never learn to cross the road themselves.
“It’s important their mind is their own and they can think for themselves.
“I don’t think any coach would say, ‘We need to stop this,’ because someone else will get the competitive edge because that’s what they do.
“That’s why having the right type of personality to suit the football club is so important.”
