Sunderland's second string will be playing in a revamped Premier League 2 next season after bosses scrapped current regulations allowing players under the age of 23 to participate. Instead, Premier League 2 will revert back to the old format of the Under-21 League.
Last year, the Black Cats finished 13th out of 14 teams, a disappointing campaign after reaching the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off final the year prior. Prem bosses have cited a lack of player development as one of the reasons behind the change, with players languishing in the league for too long.
Sunderland gave a number of youngsters game time in the Papa John's Trophy last season, but there were no new debutants in the league throughout the campaign. The Black Cats have made a considerable effort to recruit players for their youth set-up and it's an area the Kristjaan Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus are keen fans of.
