Sunderland manager Jack Ross handed competitive debut starts to four youngsters against Morecambe in midweek.
Sunderland travelled to the Globe Arena for the first ever time in midweek, beating Morecambe 1-0 in the EFL Trophy to secure their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Black Cats manager Jack Ross handed competitive first-team debut starts to four young prospects, including Jake Hackett, Jack Diamond, Jack Bainbridge and Jordan Hunter.
And one of the standout players from the tie, 18-year-old Hackett, gave an honest assessment of his big night in an interview with the Sunderland Echo.
When speaking about his debut, Hackett said: “It was just good to get the opportunity to get some minutes under my belt and hopefully there’ll be more soon. I’m chuffed to be honest.
“The physicality was a bit different, it was quicker than what we’re used to in the U23s. That’ll stand us in good stead.
“I thought I held my own, I thought I was quite neat and tidy in possession. I felt I went a bit quiet but it is something to build on.”
Hackett looked calm and composed on the ball, but also kept it simple for the majority of the 90 minutes he was on the field – and the prospect from the well-respected Wearside academy is certainly one for the future.
His inclusion was also accompanied by the fact that Ross’ men made it 11-straight matches unbeaten and also eight wins on the bounce in all competitions, which is a huge achievement for a side still in somewhat of a transition.
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