Yahoo Sports Chris Rigg: The Championship’s Next Big Thing
Meet Sunderland AFC’s 17-year-old Chris Rigg, a teenage sensation settling into Championship life.
The Wearside prodigy has quickly become an integral part of the Championship’s youngest squad and a key part of its youngest midfield—it has an average age of 19—that also includes captain Dan Neil (22) and rising Rolls Royce Jobe Bellingham (18).
Scouts from Real Madrid, Dortmund and a few other European sides are monitoring him already and he has been described as the “best young English player since Jude Bellingham,’’ brother of his teammate, Jobe.
Chris Rigg: A Man With Confidence
In Sunderland’s recent win against Middlesbrough, Rigg showcased his brewing confidence and deft feet, scoring the winner, consequently winning man of the match. Rigg sidestepped and backheeled the ball beyond the keeper… an absurd amount of aplomb for a newly teen.
In the 24/25 campaign thus far, not only has Rigg displayed his slick footwork, he’s also exhibited what his former head coach Tony Mowbray describes as his innate: ‘’Roy Keane-esque type of nastiness’’. Rigg’s virtuoso performances have massively contributed towards Regis Le Bris Mackem’s winning five of six league games thus far. He has slotted into the midfield effortlessly, regularly dancing around his competitors like traffic cones:
He’s cool, composed and aware of the space around him. When a 17-year-old is doing that, you know he’s a top player. In fact, the utter ease with which he has taken to the second tier of English football is something we’ve only seen in a few teenagers in recent years, i.e., Archie Gray and Jude Bellingham, the latter now starring in Madrid and the former securing a £40 million move to Tottenham this summer.
The Symbol
The youngster is legally unable to buy a pint and only a year off sitting his GSCE exams, yet he’s the embodiment of his side’s aggressive, assertive, and innovative style of play.
”Chris Rigg is a good symbol of what we want to create and build as a team.”
– Regis Le Bris – Sunderland manager
He turned 17 in June, yet he’s Sunderland’s symbol. This isn’t normal, and unfortunately for native Wearsiders, Rigg has quickly become Sunderland’s worst-kept secret. This said, the club have done well to keep hold of him. Over the past couple of years, Rigg has been slowly introduced to senior football. This helped to secure him a deal until 2027 this summer, stemming from reported interest from a host of European giants, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, and rivals Newcastle United—who have his family member’s support.
Alongside this growing European interest has been the increasing admiration of those around his club. Fellow academy graduate and 22-year-old captain Dan Neil recently appeared on the 72+ EFL podcast, explaining how the players were in awe of his attitude and tenacity when he started training with the first team: ‘’I think when a 15-year-old comes up and doesn’t care who he’s playing against, gets stuck into the first team players but also can take it back as well, I think everyone kind of… their eyebrows lifted.’’
From Youth Team to First Team
15-year-old ‘Riggy’ made his senior debut vs. Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, soon becoming Sunderland’s youngest scorer aged 16 against Southampton.
In the back end of the 23/24 campaign, Rigg featured consistently. Unfortunately, he was used mostly in his unfavoured position at right wing, as part of a woefully negative side that won two of its sixteen final games and scored four from its last nine. Though Rigg didn’t follow the path of his teammates. He led with his fearlessness, providing the attentiveness and effort his teammates didn’t.
His transition to senior football seemed crazy cool. Rigg slotted in and showed flashes of his quick feet whilst covering heavy ground up and down the right-hand side (see above). Towards the end of the 23/24 season, Sunderland fans became unsurprised at seeing his 5’9 nimble frame stand out amongst his peers each time he touched turf. In fact, across his 803 minutes played, Rigg averaged:
2.02 Tackles (82nd percentile)
0.22 Shots Blocked (89 percentile)
0.77 Tackles in the defensive 3rd (86 percentile)
1.10 Tackles in the mid-3rd (97 percentile) per 9
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As per FBREF—an exceptional outcome for a 16-year-old wrapped up in Sunderland’s negative atmosphere.
Neil summed up his application within the turbulent time: ‘’I think last season, towards the back end, we didn’t go on a great run. I thought Riggy was really good, especially playing his first proper minutes in first team football; in places like Elland Road, he didn’t look out of place.” His performances towards the end of the 23/24 campaign were a sign of things to come.
A Player Thriving
As mentioned, in 24/25 Rigg is playing and thriving in the eight, having started the last five games for the Black Cats there (all competitions). In Regis Le Bris’ system, which is cohesive in and out of possession, harassing opponents in a 4-4-2 press, Rigg has displayed his tenacity and flair all over the pitch. He has been the furthest forward of the midfield three (11), just off left footer Roberts (10), with support from right back in Trai Hume (32). His average position in the 4-0 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday exemplifies this:
Stylistically, Sunderland have leaned into their transition game this term (22nd in league for total possession), and Rigg has played a huge part, being trusted to win the ball high up the pitch in their 4-4-2 press. See below on the right.
He’s a never-ending rash—Rigg is winning the ball in the final third 0.87 times per 90, this is in the 84.9% percentile, he’s at the forefront of the Championship side’s aggressive style.
His awareness and intelligence are influencing others too, especially fellow left-footer Patrick Roberts. In the clip below, Rigg runs beyond Roberts (10), dragging defenders across, opening up space for him to get a shot off on his favourite left foot. Simple, smart, effective.
Rigg’s ability to play one-touch interchangeable football with Roberts on the right-hand side has helped re-ignite his teammate, who’s already notched more goal contributions this season than the entirety of last. Their one touch, two touch raids down the right are reminiscent of what Amad Diallo offered Roberts in his 22/23 loan spell.
Rigg reads the game expertly. Here, he finds space in the pocket, receives the ball, takes it down with one touch and confidently sends it with another. The weight of the pass allows Clarke to hit it first time for Eliezer Mayenda to finish.
The one-touch, forward passing football is exactly what Regis Le Bris wants his team to do, and for the 17-year-old to execute the long ball with such confidence and composure is extraordinary.
Here, we see Rigg in a tighter space. Using quick footwork, he releases his teammate (Browne), starting another brutal counterattack.
With superb footwork, quick thinking and quick feet, he takes all three players out of the game. Rigg is averaging 1.53 successful dribbles per 90, being in the 90.7% percentile.
As mentioned, his tough-tackling, tenacious style has looked stupendous this season too. Despite being on a yellow card, Rigg jumps into a crunching tackle, starting his side off with a ruthless goal in transition once again. Fearless and ferocious.
In this clip, Rigg executes another perfectly timed tackle, highlighting his agility and balance winning a throw-in.
His harrying has been nonstop. Rigg dictates the game to his opponents. His tough tackling has had fans in awe, and he has exemplified the Wearsiders industrial nature in his short career thus far.
Ultimately, Chris Rigg is only scratching the surface of his abilities. Having represented England through his youth, captaining their u17s, now u18s, don’t be surprised to see him representing the senior squad within the next few years. Talk of Rigg having a higher ceiling than former academy graduate Jordan Henderson are no longer just whispers. Though it feels unfair to compare him to a player who captained Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory, it appears he’s simply that good. There’s a reason European giants Real Madrid and Dortmund are amongst others tracking the young English star.
