Ellis Taylor will be one of the Sunderland players vying to make a good impression on Alex Neil in pre-season as the Black Cats gear up for life back in the Championship. The 19-year-old burst onto the scene last summer with a number of impressive performances in pre-season, grabbing a number of goals to boot.
The Black Cats midfielder has been on the fringes of the first team since signing his first professional contract last summer and is highly regarded at the Academy of Light. However, this summer feels like an important stage of his Sunderland career.
Taylor played four times for the first team last season, three times in the Papa John's Trophy and once in the Carabao Cup, notching an assist in the former competition. He made 13 appearances in Premier League 2 Division 2 for the Black Cats U23's side, scoring four times and registering two assists.
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The youngster was pictured alongside Alex Pritchard as the first team returned to training, but he's yet to feature under Neil. You can't really lay any blame at the door of the Black Cats head coach, with promotion back to the Championship the main objective last season.
Nonetheless, with two years remaining on his deal, Taylor must show he has what it takes to step up to the second tier of English football. Unlike recent years, the Black Cats have developed a decent pathway for their upcoming talents, with Dan Neil the best example.
Anthony Patterson and Elliot Embleton have had loans away from the club to continue their development, while a number of other youngsters have head out on loan. So what next for Taylor?
It's clear that the youngster has a bright future. Speaking after Taylor signed his first professional contract with the club, Kristjaan Speakman said: “Ellis has a really bright future and we are delighted to have agreed a long-term contract with him. He’s a local boy who’s been at the club for nearly 10 years and he represents what we are trying to achieve.”
Is it time for the youngster to head out on loan in search of game time lower down the EFL? Taylor didn't look out of place competing against the likes of Spennymoor Town and Tranmere Rovers last season.
In an ideal world, you would like to see Taylor get some League Two football under his belt, but the competition is that strong in the National League these days, a loan there is not completely out of the question. That may count for nought if Neil believes he's good enough to play a role in the Black Cats squad next season. Time will only tell.
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