Elliott Dickman can’t wait to get stuck into the trials and tribulations of the Premier League 2 fixture schedule.
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Sunderland under-23s begin their domestic campaign on Friday 11 August at home to Tottenham Hotspur, kick-off 7pm.
An away trip to Liverpool then follows the next week before fixtures at Derby County, Scunthorpe United, Chelsea and Manchester City proceed that.
Speaking to safc.com, Dickman has admitted the opening handful of fixtures provide a challenging start but it’s one he is relishing.
“All the games are going to be tough,” he said.
“The quality of the teams we will be facing are all good but we have just got to make sure we are ready and focused on what we need to be focused on.
“We need to make sure we are ready and able to adapt because there might be different game plans in place for each one.”
He continued: “Hopefully the lads will learn and we want them to continue and progress which is the main thing.
“The start of the season is tough; all the games will be hard but we have to be ready for each test and enjoy it.”