This morning, the Black Cats announced that Ivan Struk, Bayley Hester, and Marcus Neill have joined the team’s scholarship program.
The aggressive midfielder Struck first went on trial with Sunderland at the beginning of the 2023–24 campaign. Chelsea achieved a pre-registration agreement after making an impression on Wearside.
Prior to getting hurt, he played for Sunderland’s Under-16 and Under-18 teams last season. Earlier this summer, the Ukrainian relocated to Wearside and reconnected with the team.
In January, Hester signed a pre-registration contract with Southampton.
He has represented England in the youth age levels and can play both full-back and winger positions.
Neill spent several years in Liverpool’s youth and was rated by Sunderland as a “exciting forward with excellent goal-scoring ability”.
In addition to being an Australian young international, he has represented Sunderland’s Under-16 and Under-18 teams from his pre-registration.
“We are excited to be adding three players from further afield to the group,” stated academy manager Robin Nicholls. Our youth recruitment team, under the direction of Ian Archbold, does an outstanding job of showcasing potential players from other clubs who they believe might complement our group and match the Sunderland style of play during the season.
“As soon as we learned that Bayley, Marcus, and Ivan would be available, we extended an invitation to come to the North East so they could see what the Academy had to offer and gauge how well they would fit in.
“We are thrilled that all three have decided to continue their adventure at Sunderland, and we can’t wait to see them reach their full potential here at the team. Those who watch the academy will undoubtedly be thrilled to watch the youngsters perform in the upcoming seasons.”
