The Black Cats new-boy has joined the Stadium of Light from Walsall, which Whitney managed.
Sunderland new-boy George Dobson has been highly praised by Jon Whitney, his previous manager at Walsall and a coach who signed him twice (Chronicle Live).
Whitney spotted the midfielder playing for West Ham’s Under-23s and opted to bring him to the Banks’ Stadium on loan in 2016 and handing him his league debut.
Dobson went on to join Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam for a short stint but, after six months in the Netherlands, Whitney brought him back to Walsall, this time permanently.
Earlier this month, the 21-year-old joined Sunderland from the League Two outfit for an undisclosed fee, penning a three-year deal at the Stadium of Light.
“He has very good technical ability and can pass the ball, which is why I think Sunderland will have wanted him,” Whitney is quoted by Chronicle Live as saying. “Sunderland will be challenging at the top end of the table again this season and George is more than capable of playing at Championship level so he is someone that can make the step up if the club wins promotion.
“I watched him play U23s football four or five times against teams in our area like Wolves and West Brom, and he was a player I liked and made a note of. He was short just because of his age but his technique was that good that he was able to cope with the demands of the game – technically, he is one of the best I have seen.”
According to Chronicle Live, Dobson had been on Jack Ross‘ radar all summer, with a previous bid being rejected by the West Midlands club.
Dobson has made over 100 appearances for Walsall over his two spells at the club and wore the armband for much of last season as they narrowly failed to beat the drop.
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