Report: Sunderland take Tottenham 18-year-old on trial

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The Sunderland Echo have reported that Tottenham Hotspur teenager Aaron Skinner has joined Sunderland on a trial spell and featured for the League One outfit’s under-23 side on Monday, helping his temporary side earn a point against Newcastle.

Skinner, 18, only joined Tottenham’s Under-18 side from Bolton Wanderers last summer – who had signed Skinner from Bury, where he had appeared on the first-team’s substitutes bench. He can play either right-back or centre-back.

Failing to make the breakthrough at Bolton, he moved down south to Spurs last summer and has been a regular part of Tottenham’s under-18 side but clearly, Skinner is looking to make the step up. He is yet to play for Tottenham’s reserves.

That could be why he has opted to move to Sunderland on trial, where he has been thrown into the side for a North East derby against Newcastle. He played 90 minutes, as Sunderland drew 1-1 with The Toon. Certainly, he made a good initial impact.

TBR’s view – Sunderland a better chance for Skinner

At Spurs, the defender is clearly not going to be in the first team in the next couple of years. In the current Under-23 side, there are players of his age – Dane Scarlett is even younger. To stand a chance of senior football, he needs to be ahead of the curve.

But Skinner is behind it and that means if he is to further his career and give himself the best chance of making it, he needs to join a side where he can play regular Under-23 football with a view to a first-team breakthrough. Sunderland is ideal.