Sunderland under-23s boss Elliot Dickman has expressed his pride in seeing so many academy lads feature in the first-team's recent Leasing.com Trophy victory over Grimsby Town.
Brandon Taylor and Bali Mumba started the match after a fine string of performances in the development team, with Lee Connelly and Cole Kiernan featuring from the bench.
Speaking to safc.com, Dickman believes it is a just reward for the hard work the lads have put in so far this season, admitting he hopes that other lads in the academy use it as motivation too.
“It’s great for the whole academy, there’s plenty of people behind the scenes who have been part of their development, so I’m delighted for the lads,” he said.
“Fair play to the senior staff as well because they’ve watched our games and felt that the two lads have done enough to warrant a start, when they could have gone with first teamers.
“Bali played as a right back again, there’s been a lot of questions out there about whether he is a full back, I think the performance he put in shows he is more than capable of playing that position.
“Brandon had a bit of a difficult summer, but he’s knuckled down and worked hard and been one of our best performers in the under-23s so far this season.
“The two lads who started definitely earned it after their hard work since the beginning of the season.
“For the academy in general everyone is proud as punch that the first team staff had the confidence to put them in, the lads have earned it.”
