Sunderland had mare with Sam Greenwood exit

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has created an setting for younger gamers to thrive within the first-team on the Stadium of Mild lately.

In each his recruitment and his managerial appointments, the Black Cats chief has sculpted a squad stuffed with gifted children with the potential to develop and develop.

Has Kristjaan Speakman accomplished an excellent job?

The likes of Jack Clarke, Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, Amad Diallo, and Daniel Ballard are just some of the promising gems who’ve been introduced into the facet, through the academy or the switch market, within the final 18 months or so.

Nonetheless, former Sunderland proprietor Stewart Donald didn’t have as a lot success with youth and one participant the previous boss had a nightmare with was youth star Sam Greenwood because the English supremo determined to sell the dynamo to Arsenal in the summertime of 2018.

The place is Sam Greenwood now?

After 15 objectives and 6 assists in 39 U18 matches for the Gunners, the midfielder signed for Leeds United in 2020 and has loved a terrific time in Yorkshire.

Greenwood plundered 21 objectives and six assists in 41 U21 video games for the Whites and this satisfied Jesse Marsch, who has since departed the membership, to deliver him into the senior facet.

Ex-Leeds ahead Noel Whelan as soon as in contrast him to Southampton and England’s James Ward-Prowse due to his unbelievable set-piece skill, saying:

“Free-kicks are his forte.

“Instantly you concentrate on somebody like James Ward-Prowse and what an unbelievable useless ball specialist he’s. Whenever you see the objectives Greenwood has scored from set items you place him up there on that mantle.”

The retired attacker additionally lauded the teenager’s “immense” skill and described his free-kick expertise as a “weapon“, which means that Sunderland might have had their very own model of Ward-Prowse if Donald had saved maintain of the magician.

For the reason that begin of 2006/07, the Saints man has scored five extra free-kicks than every other participant within the Premier League (16) and the present Leeds wizard has showcased his high quality from deadball conditions at youth degree for the Whites.

The 21-year-old has additionally established himself as a first-team participant at Elland Street and has made 13 appearances within the Premier League thus far this season, beginning twice.

He has produced one purpose and two assists, while creating 12 possibilities, from midfield – as an eight or a ten – in that point and this reveals that the maestro has the standard to make an influence within the closing third on the high degree.

The dynamo might now go on to change into a daily within the top-flight for a lot of extra seasons to return at Leeds and his set-piece high quality could possibly be a function of his play, like it’s for Ward-Prowse, if the gem can constantly ship goals from these positions.

Due to this fact, Greenwood, who was dubbed a ‘free-kick grasp’ by the Yorkshire Evening Press, might have been a superb prospect for Tony Mowbray’s facet this season and past, on condition that the midfielder has already earned himself loads of minutes at the next degree.

Ths signifies that Donald disadvantaged Sunderland of getting their very own model of Ward-Prowse by deciding to promote him to Arsenal in 2018 as a substitute of convincing the expertise to stay on Wearside.