Tony Mowbray came close to signing Niall Huggins at Blackburn - and is relishing the chance to work with the youngster at Sunderland when he recovers from long-term injury. Huggins joined the Black Cats from Leeds United last summer but his first season on Wearside was a write-off, with the 21-year-old playing only four games before suffering the first of a series of injuries which have now kept him out for a year.
The full-back is still some way away from returning to training and Mowbray is at pains not to put pressure on him by putting a timescale on his recovery, but he has made it clear that when Huggins is available again he will find himself playing under a head coach who rates him highly. "I almost signed Niall Huggins at Blackburn," said Mowbray.
"I like Niall because he is a bundle of energy and drive and passion and emotion. When you manage a working class football club with working class people, they want to see their players give everything and Niall is the epitome of that.
