An hour after Sunderland’s 1-0 win against Middlesbrough in a local football derby, 17-year old Chris Rigg revisits the glorious moment he scored the winning goal with a surprise backheel kick, a moment that left the stadium and a national audience astounded. The unexpected goal was set up by the long pass from Sunderland’s goalkeeper Anthony Patterson to Romaine Mundle. It reached Rigg, who was already set for forward play in the centre circle. He followed in on Patrick Roberts’, the left-footed right-winger, usual shot at the goal.
Sunderland’s Rigg was still running as the ball was intercepted by Boro’s defense. The opposition’s George Edmundson blocked the shot, aiming it back towards the goal, setting the ball loose as goalkeeper Seny Dieng was off balance. Rigg reached the ball first, backheeling it from a narrow angle, producing a goal in a situation when keeping the ball in play would have seemed like the best he could do. This neatly executed backheel by a player who turned 17 just three months ago at a high-stakes game viewed by 43,000 fans was matchless.
Rigg described his unreal experience, stating, “It went in, I was buzzin’ after that”, proceeding to laugh about not being as good in training. He added to his past, talking about how he first joined Sunderland at the age of five and made his senior debut two years ago at 15. When he talks about his nerves, his love for defense and attack, his future ambitions, and his admiration for accomplished midfielders like Modric, Zidane, Lampard, and Gerrard, all serve as evidence of his balanced self-confidence and self-deprecation and indicate his growth potential.
Rigg’s name comes up frequently in discussions about Sunderland’s fast-developing young side – a fact that has not escaped the attention of football scouts from across Europe. The team, with an average age of 23.1, is currently second in the table and has won five of its last six Championship games under new coach, Regis Le Bris, who emphasizes the importance of maturity, regardless of age. But he laughs off questions about whether Rigg could go on to win international senior caps, saying “It’s the consistency. You can perform one, two, three, four, five games, but the reality of the high level is to perform for a whole season and multiple seasons.”
Rigg’s winning goal may have enchanted fans and attracted the attention of football scouts from across Europe, but for those engaged with Sunderland’s development, it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. The team’s surging performance, led by young talents like Rigg, indicates a promising future. Rigg’s outstanding victory marks merely the first step in an already impressive career, though laden with challenges that lie ahead. It is in managing these forthcoming challenges and maintaining consistent performance that the real test of his talent lies.
In conclusion, while everyone else focuses on the spectacle of Rigg’s last-minute heroics, the real story lies in the young player’s potential. Regardless of how he performs in the future, he symbolizes a promising era for Sunderland AFC – a club with a reinvigorated team driven by young talent, playing for high stakes, and on the cusp of greatness.
