Wales boss admits he 'likes how Sunderland play' after Niall Huggins call-up

Wales boss Robert Page has declared himself a fan of how Sunderland play after he called up the services of Niall Huggins.

Huggins has been revitalised this year and scored the club’s goal of the month with a fine solo effort in the 2-0 win over Watford in October.

His renaissance has now continued with a first senior international call-up, and Page is looking forward to seeing if he can reproduce his Sunderland form in his side.

"I really like Niall," Page said. "I have done for a while. He's athletic. He's playing with a young team and I like how they play.

"[He’s] full of energy. He can play both sides for us. For how we play I think he suits us. He fits in with how we want to play really well."

Huggins was born and raised in York but qualifies for Wales through his Welsh father. He has already represented them at Under-21 level as well, with the first of his four caps coming in June 2019 against Albania.

READ NEXT: Sunderland striker tipped for impact: 'He's ‘dynamic and fast with a wand of a left foot’

Niall Huggins Sunderland career finally underway

Huggins is finally enjoying a run in the Sunderland team following two years of injury frustration. After initially impressing, he was sidelined with a back injury from which he struggled badly to recover.

Last summer was a turning point though. After a full pre-season, he took advantage of injuries to Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese to stake a serious claim for the left-back spot.

"I'm really delighted with Niall. He's had a tough time in my year or so here with injury, and yet it has been splattered with really good moments - Birmingham away last year springs to mind of him performing at a high level.

"You see in training how he can travel with the ball and he's like an elastic-man, almost, the way he weaves in and out of people.”

That ball carrying ability comes from Huggins playing his formative years at Leeds as a forward.

What a month, Niall 😍

👑 Presenting your Goal of the Month winner for October... #SAFC | @Niall_Huggins https://t.co/1t6YYeintK pic.twitter.com/TlSpIxop6m
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 8, 2023

Huggins was part of the same Leeds United academy intake as Jack Clarke, who is just a month older and also from York, and they initially saw the two as competitors for the same position.

However, by the time Huggins got his own breakthrough after being repurposed as a full-back, Clarke had already left for Tottenham.

Huggins followed Clarke out of Elland Road in August 2021, but not before Tony Mowbray tried to take him to the north west instead.

"I almost signed Niall Huggins at Blackburn," Mowbray said. "I like Niall because he is a bundle of energy and drive and passion and emotion.

“When you manage a working class football club with working class people, they want to see their players give everything and Niall is the epitome of that.”

Niall Huggins Sunderland career finally underway

READ MORE SUNDERLAND NEWS