Lee Johnson has singled out Patrick Almond as potential future star - saying the teenage centre-back is a physical 'beast'!
With Sunderland in the grip of a central defensive injury crisis, Almond was rewarded for his form for the U23s this season with a place on the bench for the midweek EFL Trophy semi-final against Lincoln City.
It was the second time this season Almond has been on the bench, the previous time coming in the same competition at Fleetwood in November, and while he has yet to make his senior debut, Johnson says the academy product has a 'bright future' ahead of him.
"It's great experience for him to be around the boys, he has seen the manager at half-time get quite aggressive but for the right reasons, not in a negative way, to demand more," Johnson said of Almond's inclusion in the squad against the Imps.
"He's able to see senior players like Bailey Wright and get their advice, and the senior players can take him under their wing and look after him a bit.
"Patrick is a player that we have identified who could have a bright future, as long as his attitude stays positive.
"He’s a beast, physically. You only have to look at his thighs and his calves and he is verging on the size of a rugby player rather than a footballer!
"The challenge will be to keep him slim as much as possible, but he has good footballing ability – he set up a really good goal for Josh Hawkes in the U23s against Middlesbrough a few days earlier – so, yes, he is a player we want to encourage and nurture, going forward."
Almond is the second young defender to be brought into the first-team fold from the U23s this season, with fellow centre-back Ollie Younger also impressing.
Younger has made three appearances - one start and two from the bench - in the earlier rounds of the Trophy.
