Sunderland manager Steve Bruce targeting youth loan exodus

Steve Bruce – Sunderland, (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is looking to send out his young players on loan, as he tries to bring in a host of new signings to the club.

The Black Cats have already started spending the money generated by the sales of Darren Bent and Jordan Henderson with the signings of Sebastian Larsson and Keiren Westwood, with offers for a number of other players such as Darren Gibson and Connor Wickham apparently on the table.

But Bruce is hoping to use Henderson, who moved to Liverpool for fee around £20 million, as an example to other young players looking to succeed at the Stadium of Light.

“I have got a few young lads bubbling underneath who have impressed me and who have got a chance,” he told the Sunderland Echo.

“A lot of them can expect to be going out on loan next season because I haven’t wavered from that view – that you send your young lads out on loan and see how they stand up to it.

“It didn’t do Jordan or Jack Colback any harm, and it’s another part of young players’ education in the modern game.

“Then, when they come back from their loans, you hope that they have come on another step.

“I hope that will prove to be the case with the current crop of lads, because I think there are some exciting young players and we acknowledged that by regularly including a few in our first-team squad towards the end of the last season.

“I don’t think anyone doubts we have now got a busy summer ahead of us in the transfer market, but it won’ be at the expense of players coming through.

“If the young lads prove they are good enough, they will get their chance – just like Jordan and Jack did.”