17-year-old Sunderland prodigy sends clear message to Regis Le Bris with brace in six-goal thriller

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Regis Le Bris has a youth star making waves at the Academy of Light as his Sunderland side fly high in the Premier League.

The Black Cats remain comfortably clear of the relegation zone despite suffering a 2-0 loss away at Manchester United last time out.

Le Bris has defied expectations in the Premier League and has not looked back since the resounding 3-0 win against West Ham United on the opening day.

Several of the summer signings have made an immediate impact at the Stadium of Light, and the players should feel confident about returning to winning ways against bottom-of-the-table Wolves after the international break.

However, Wilson Isidor is the leading goalscorer with three goals, and with only four other players having found the back of the net this season, there is a youth star in blistering form in the Under-18s.

Marcus Neill strikes twice in 5-1 win for Under-18s

Marcus Neill is the crown jewel of Jordan Moore’s attack at the academy, and the youngster emphasised his growing resurgence with a brace in the 5-1 win against Ipswich Town.

The Australian Under-18 international scored 18 goals and added seven assists in 36 outings in the academy and helped Sunderland to achieve a sixth-placed finish in the Under-18s Premier League.

For context, the “hugely talented” Arsenal starlet Max Dowman recorded one fewer goal contribution than Neill last season, and he has now become a fully-fledged first-team squad member at the Emirates.

Isidor matched Darren Bent’s record in the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, but the Frenchman can hardly be expected to handle the goalscoring burden alone.

While the Black Cats are hardly struggling upon their return to the top flight, the lack of goals being spread across the side will become a serious cause for concern if their form dips when club football resumes.

Furthermore, Bertrand Traore has been dubbed a panic buy, whereas deadline day signing Brian Brobbey has yet to start in the Premier League since his arrival from Ajax.

Indeed, Neill must continue to develop until he is considered ready to challenge for a first-team berth, but if he maintains his current form in the academy, it will be difficult for Le Bris to ignore him.

Jordan Moore is proud of Marcus Neill’s development

Last season, the 17-year-old scored four goals in a single match with an assist, during a 7-2 win against Blackburn Rovers.

This was not the only time Neill produced a devastating display for the Under-18s as he netted a hat-trick during a 6-1 win against Liverpool in the previous fixture.

Moore couldn’t believe what he was seeing from his youth star and admitted he is proud of how far Neill has developed at the Academy of Light during his post-match interview.

Yeah, like I said last week, we know what Marcus can do. He’s got that spring in his step again. Every time he gets the ball in the box, you just think he’s going to score.

“But that’s credit to him in training—his work rate and his movement to find space in the box. He’s done really well again today, and we’re all proud of what he’s doing.”