Striker Connor Shields wants to make the most of his time at Sunderland after he was released by the Black Cats.
The 21-year-old made the switch from part-time player to professional when he moved to Wearside from Scottish League One club Albion Rovers in January 2018 and quickly became a regular in Eliott Dickman’s Under-23’s side.
Shields joined Scottish Championship club Alloa Athletic on loan on transfer deadline day in August 2019 and made a big impression with the Wasps.
On the last day of the season, he scored to earn his side a 1-1 draw from their game against Ayr United – and that was enough to keep the part-time outfit in Scottish football’s second tier.
He has now returned to Sunderland and has been told that his contract will not be renewed.
Shields admitted that he will look back on his time at Sunderland with great pride as he looks to take the next step in his career.
He said “I was playing part-time in Scotland, so to get a move to a big club like Sunderland was a real dream.
“I was over the moon and a bit star-struck to be honest.
“As a part-time player, to be given that experience of playing and training alongside some top players was unbelievable.
“I have developed as a player and feel better for the experience of playing for Sunderland.
“Now I want to make the most of the experience by getting my future sorted and finding a new club.”
Alloa remain keen to sign the striker on a permanent basis and several National League, League of Ireland and Scottish Championship clubs remain interested in acquiring his services.
A number of North East non-league clubs have also shown an interest in the striker and Shields admitted that he “will not rule anything out” when it comes to his next move.
“My aim is to play at as high a level as I can for as long as possible,” explained the striker.
“There has been interest from England and Scotland, and I want to stay full-time and go somewhere I can enjoy my football.
“But I am not ruling anything out at the moment.
“There are offers on the table, we are assessing what they are, and we will see what happens over the coming days and weeks.”
