Sunderland star Chris Rigg has reiterated his love for Sunderland amid reports linking West Ham with a £10million move.
West Ham are reportedly lining up a move for Sunderland youngster Chris Rigg if the Black Cats fail to secure Premier League promotion this season, according to The Sun on Sunday. The 17-year-old is said to be keen on progressing to top-flight football, which is seen as crucial to his development.
Sunderland have reportedly set a £20million valuation for Rigg, but West Ham are looking to negotiate a deal closer to £10million. The report also claims Rigg was surprised by his omission from the England squad, especially given the inclusion of Newcastle’s Lewis Miley and Fulham’s Joshua King. The Sun on Sunday suggests that securing a move to the Premier League sooner rather than later could be key to Rigg’s growth as a player.
However, speaking during a recent Q&A session with the club’s in-house media team, the England youth international reiterated his love and passion for Sunderland.
Question: “Hi Chris, I have a question for you. What’s the best part about playing for Sunderland?”
Answer: “I think some people don’t realise how much it means to put on a Sunderland shirt and give it your all for the team. I think I can say that I do every time I go on the pitch. So yeah, it’s very special for me to be playing, and I’m trying to take every opportunity that comes. Yeah, I think that probably sums it up, to be honest.”
What Le Bris has said about Chris Rigg recently
Régis Le Bris recently said that Sunderland will manage Rigg carefully after he was dropped for the game against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Le Bris added that Rigg was frustrated with what has been a dip in his form from a string of outstanding performances in the opening months of the campaign, but the Sunderland head coach has assured him that this is to be expected in what is his first campaign of regular senior football.
Le Bris took the decision to drop Rigg to the bench for the 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, with the youngster making a positive impact as a substitute in the closing stages as Sunderland saw out the win. Rigg was then restored to the starting XI to face Cardiff City but was sub the following game against Preston before playing 90 minutes against Coventry.
The Sunderland head coach says the form and consistency of Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham highlight the benefit of their added experience, with both going through a similar challenge in their first full senior campaigns. It’s why Neil and Bellingham are unlikely to be rested significantly in the weeks ahead as Rigg’s minutes are carefully managed.
“They are not at the same stage of their career, this is really Chris Rigg’s first season,” Le Bris said. “It is a new experience for him. It is not unusual for a player like that to struggle a little bit at this stage of the season, after 35 games. We spoke together last week.
“He said he wasn’t happy about his game level, but I said, ‘It is normal – you just have to adjust to this new experience’. As a club and as a staff, we have to create the right condition for him to be able to recover, then I am sure he will find his best level again.
“With Dan and Jobe, the situation is a little bit different,” Le Bris added. “They are more mature and more experienced, even if they are still young. Jobe is still 19, but this is probably his second full season and that makes a bit of a difference. I think he has shown really good qualities. He maybe wasn’t always exactly where he would want to be, but he has maintained a very good performance level.
“He has never dipped too low, and that is probably just a case of him becoming more mature. With that kind of foundation, you can go on and reach the next level. Jobe was able to do that, and I think that has been the case with Dan as well. Because of their experiences, they have learned how not to waste energy on the pitch, like you do when you are younger.
“I think for Riggy, we are still in that phase. Sometimes, he could maybe make different decisions that result in the same outcome, but with less energy. We are here to help him with that, and I hope we are able to manage all three players properly until the end of the season.”
