‘Love it’ – Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg reacts to Newcastle United contract announcement
Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg has expressed his reaction to his England Under-17 teammate Leo Shahar signing his first professional contract with Newcastle United. Shahar, a 17-year-old defender, joined Newcastle last summer after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers and has since made notable contributions to the club’s Under-18s and Under-21s squads.
Following the signing of his first professional contract, Shahar shared his aspirations on the club’s website: “Seeing the likes of Trippier and Livramento playing well for the first team makes me want to thrive and try to get into a similar position that they are in. The fans love those two, and I want to push on to try and get into that spot. I’m going to work as hard as I can every day on the training pitch to get to that spot.”
Rigg’s response underscores the camaraderie and mutual support among young players within the England youth system, celebrating Shahar’s milestone achievement while acknowledging the hard work and dedication required to progress in their professional careers.
Shahar also took to Instagram to post an image of himself signing with the caption: “First professional contract ❤️ @nufc.”
The Newcastle academy and England youth team-mates rallied around Leo Shahar’s milestone, with support pouring in, including from Sunderland’s Chris Rigg. Both Rigg and Shahar are set to represent England Under-17s at the upcoming European Under-17s Championships in Cyprus later this month.
BOOM 💥 16-year-old Leo Shahar to Newcastle
Defender arrives from Wolves
Deals are taking longer at this age due to tribunals 🤝 https://t.co/3qPR23R9rv pic.twitter.com/3axdia2RRl
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) September 7, 2023
Despite still being on an academy scholarship at Sunderland, Rigg has garnered attention from several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United and Manchester United, after making 21 Championship appearances for Sunderland in the 2023-24 season.
In response to Shahar’s new contract, Rigg simply commented, “Love it.”
While Newcastle has shown interest in Rigg for some time, the prospect of consistent first-team opportunities at Sunderland makes it likely that he will agree to his first professional contract at the Stadium of Light this summer. However, until Rigg turns 17 next month and can sign a professional contract, other clubs could potentially make offers without having to pay a transfer fee.