Sunderland team at Wigan set a new record for the 2022/23 season in English football

You win nothing with kids, they say, but you can certainly thrash Wigan with them.

Sunderland fielded the youngest team in the English game this season in the 4-1 thrashing of Wigan at the DW Stadium.

Signing young players has been a deliberate policy by Sunderland, with many reports suggesting the club are ‘refusing’ to spend money on players over the age of 24-years-old.

They have complimented that with some clever free-agent signings, though, such as Alex Pritchard, Danny Batth and Corry Evans.

All three of those were missing from the starting line-up for one reason or another.

Pritchard was nursing a calf injury, although he did come on albeit for just a few minutes before breaking down again. Batth was also missing with a calf injury, while Evans was given a much-needed rest.

Two other experienced players – Lynden Gooch (injured) and Ross Stewart (rested) – meant Sunderland had a team with the youngest average age of any named in the top four divisions in English football this season.

22 - Sunderland's starting XI in their win at Wigan last night had an average age of 22 years and 268 days; the youngest group of starters in a match within the top four tiers of English football this season. Youth. pic.twitter.com/6wu0b7QLQ8

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2022

French youngsters Abdoullah Ba (19) and Edouard Michut (19) both came into the side, with the latter making his first start for the club since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Trai Hume came into the side to replace Gooch, and put on a superb performance. Dan Neil, who only turned 21 two weeks ago, was the senior man in Sunderland’s midfield. 

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