Mark Atkinson is raring to go in this weekend’s newly formed Premier League Cup.
Sunderland under-18s turn their attentions away from their domestic campaign on Saturday, with West Ham United coming to Wearside on Saturday, kick-off 11am.
With no merits group at the end of the season, the Premier League have devised a new cup competition which starts this weekend for the young Black Cats.
Atkinson’s side will face the Hammers, Middlesbrough and Liverpool in group D, and the Black Cats Youth Team boss is excited to get the competition underway.
“It is a new competition so we are looking forward to the challenges it will bring,” he said.
“It is good for our players development because we have got the league, the Premier League Cup and the FA Youth Cup so we are involved in a good range of cup competitions.
“We are slowly mirroring a similar schedule to the one the under-23s have. That’s important and it is something different for the lads.
“We don’t always get to play against West Ham because of the way the league is separated into north and south.
“They are a good footballing side, they like to get the ball down and play and they tend to be quite expansive with how they play.”
