Saturday 17th July 2021. 3pm. Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Sunderland travel to Hearts to play their second game of pre-season; another 90-minute workout to prepare the squad for another long arduous season where promotion to the Championship is once again the sole aim.
The day before the Hearts game, Sunderland
had confirmed the signing of a 17-year-old centre-back from Manchester City by
the name of Callum Doyle. Unknown to many outside of the Etihad academy set-up,
me included, the signing raised a few eyebrows on Wearside, mainly due to Doyle’s
age. Some were quick to pour cold water on the transfer before the ink on the
contract was dry. It was a surprise to most that we would acquire a player so
young. The usual things run through the mind. Is he robust enough? Physical
enough for the demands of a third-tier promotion push? What is his character
like? Could he handle the demands and expectations of playing in front of a raucous
Stadium of Light crowd? On a sunny afternoon in Edinburgh, we would all witness
a display from Callum Doyle that would answer some of those questions.
After the signing of Doyle was
confirmed, Lee Johnson gave some comments to the local media that would shed
some further light on the deal itself. This is taken from The Northern Echo…
“We are grateful to Manchester
City for believing in us as a club to be able to help develop somebody like
Callum. He is a very talented player, but obviously he is still very young, so
the expectation of him in terms of the first team is that we are quietly
confident he can have a big impact as time goes on. At six foot three, he is
very good technically, can carry the ball and has a lovely left foot, but of
course man-on-man combat is what he has to break through and be comfortable
with. Overall, we are delighted to put him amongst our squad and believe that
he can be a real positive for us.”
Doyle himself said…
“I’m a big presence at the
back and I like to bring the ball out, but I also love a duel. I’m over the
moon to be here and I’m very excited to get started.”
At Tynecastle against Hearts, Doyle
would indeed ‘get started’. It would be the first glimpse Sunderland supporters
would see of Doyle in first team action.
Now, I must be clear here, I’ve
never been one to get carried away with any signing, perceived at the time to
be either good or bad. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. Yes,
our game up in Edinburgh was only a friendly. An exercise to purely build up
match practice and fitness ahead of another long season. Aiden McGeady bagged
both of our goals in a routine 2-0 victory, silencing some of the taunts that
were directed at him all game from the home faithful. Despite that double, it
was Callum Doyle that was the shining light on the day for Sunderland. I’ll be
honest, as I sat down to watch the game, I’m not sure what I was expecting. Obviously,
the main focus is to see where the team is at as a whole, but of course the signing
of Doyle had pricked my interest a little more.
Only a few minutes in, it was
immediately apparent to even the casual observer, as to what Doyle the player
was all about. I was immediately struck by his size and physicality. Despite
that, he is both mobile and strong; fantastic attributes to have at 17 years of
age, and Doyle has the intelligence to get the best out of his own attributes. He
is calm and composed on the ball, always looking for a forward, penetrating pass,
either into midfield or into the feet of a forward player. We have also seen that
he can switch the play by swinging a 40-50 yard pass on to the wing, starting
attacks in the process. The ability he possesses for one so young is quite
frightening to be brutally honest. There are not many young players that I can
remember, having such an impact on me as Doyle did, as I watched him that day
in Edinburgh. Jonny Evans is one that springs to mind, along with Jordan
Pickford.
Doyle has since shown in our
league games that he is indeed robust enough for a slog in the English third
tier. Whatever you think of Charlie Wyke, the harsh reality is that Doyle never
once looked troubled by the striker on the opening day of the season against
Wigan. Centre-forwards don’t come much bigger in League One than AFC Wimbledon’s
Ollie Palmer, and Doyle was able to handle his physicality as we beat the
London side 1-0, keeping a much-needed clean sheet. I feel that positionally,
is where we can truly see what Doyle’s game is all about. He possesses a
football brain that belies his 17 years. He can intercept and anticipate; his
reading of the game is already outstanding. It is testament to the way
Manchester City have brought him through their academy. Doyle has outgrown
Under 23s football already, and that is both a scary, and exciting thought. Manchester
City, and for now Sunderland, have a real player on their hands here.
As I said a little earlier, I am certainly
not one to get carried away, particularly with the signing of young players
from the Premier League big boys, or even a player coming through our own
academy. We are allowed to be excited though. We are allowed to wax lyrical
about such a prospect. I still can’t quite get my head around the fact that Doyle
is 17 years of age. What has to remain of great importance though is that we absolutely
cannot put too much pressure on one so young. He will make mistakes, as all players
do. Lee Johnson will know if and when to take him out of the firing line. The
early signs though, are that Doyle possesses the mental attributes to handle
playing for Sunderland. We have seen seasoned professionals wilt under the strain
of trying to be successful here. Some players quite simply haven’t been able to
handle it. If you are successful on Wearside though, you will leave a hero. It
is still very early days, but we may have a new hero at The Stadium of Light this
season. I for one, am very excited to see how the 2021/22 season unfolds, not just
for the club as a whole, but for young Callum Doyle. Hold onto your hats folks,
another rollercoaster ride is in store.
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