Kristjaan Speakman says Premier League side 'stole' talented Sunderland youngster

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has explained why Josh Robertson was sold to Brighton.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman admitted it was disappointing to lose youngster Josh Robertson to Brighton, but ultimately it was the player’s choice.

Robertson was offered a professional deal by Sunderland as he approached the end of his scholarship, but he opted to move to Brighton instead.

Sunderland will receive an undisclosed fee for the midfielder, but Speakman says that when so many other clubs are out to ‘steal’ top young talent, you’re not always going to be able to fight them off.

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"With regard to Josh it's really difficult," Speakman said. "We're trying to make sure we deliver a programme that players want and players need.

“That doesn't necessarily always fit them and it's hard. There's a lot of other football clubs that are out there that are trying to steal your players and we've had a really good record recently of retaining talent.

"Josh just felt he wasn't in a position where he felt he couldn't commit to what we were offering him and where we were.

“He plays in a position on the pitch where we've got other players at the club and we couldn't make guarantees on certain things, which I don't think we should be doing.

"We got to a point where we presented him with a choice."

What Speakman says about their record is fair. Under the Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven ownership, Sunderland asset-stripped the academy by design as a cost-cutting measure.

Things are very different now, with the likes of Matty Young, Tommy Watson and Trey Ogunsuyi already tied down to professional deals and hopes are high that Chris Rigg will follow them this summer. 

"On the one hand we're losing Josh but on the second hand we've got young Rhys [Walsh] who is joining us which I think just shows, from our football club, whether it's senior first-team players all the way down to our youth team, we're trying to acquire talent where possible."

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