Youngest ever Sunderland players: How does Chris Rigg compare?
What were you doing at 15-years-old? Not playing professional football for Sunderland, I’d wager.
Chris Rigg made Sunderland history in the 2-1 FA Cup third round win over Shrewsbury, coming off the bench to become the club’s youngest ever outfield player.
He had a genuine impact on the game too, winning the corner from which Ross Stewart scored an injury-time equaliser before Luke O’Nien won it with the last kick of the game.
It seems tough to imagine the record being beaten anytime soon – or the overall record for that matter – but who else features on the list of Sunderland’s youngest ever players?
Youngest ever Sunderland players
(As of 7/1/2023)
| Player | Age | Debut |
|---|---|---|
Derek Foster | 15 years, 185 days | v Leicester, 22 August 1964 |
Chris Rigg | 15 years, 203 days | v Shrewsbury (as a sub), 7 January 2023 |
Jimmy Hamilton | 16 years, 103 days | v Preston (as a sub), 25 September 1971 |
Cec Irwin | 16 years, 166 days | v Ipswich, 20 September 1958 |
Bali Mumba | 16 years, 210 days | v Wolves (as sub), 6 May 2018 |
Rob Hindmarch | 16 years, 262 days | v Leyton Orient, 14 January 1978 |
Dan Neil | 16 years, 335 days | v Morecambe (as a sub), 13 November 2018 |
Nick Sharkey | 16 years, 341 days | v Scunthorpe, 9 April 1960 |
Jimmy Davison | 17 years, 20 days | v Scunthorpe, 21 November 1959 |
Jimmy Thorpe | 17 years, 39 days | v Huddersfield, 25 October 1930 |
Barry Venison | 17 years, 55 days | v Notts County, 10 October 1981 |
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