Sunderland trigger contract clause as youngster explains Corry Evans and Alex Pritchard influences

Sunderland have triggered the one-year option in Harrison Jones’ contract following his impressive season playing for the under-21s side.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has captained the young Black Cats on multiple occasions this term, scoring six times in 18 Premier League 2 appearances. Jones was also named on the senior side’s bench for Championship fixtures against Southampton and QPR last month, while he’s regularly trained with the first team.

“It’s been a great year for me,” said Jones when asked about this season. “I’ve gained loads of experience playing for the 21s and having that opportunity to be on the bench for the first team is a lifetime opportunity. I’ll keep trying to work hard to get on the bench and hopefully on the pitch eventually.

“The 21s are always integrated with the first team. Especially before games we’ll do shape work. Every minute with them on the pitch is a learning minute, obviously they are the next level which is what we are trying to get to. Being on the pitch at the same time as them and being able to pick up things, hopefully we can use it for our performances.”

Jones says he’s learnt a great deal from training with Sunderland’s senior group, particularly from the likes of Dan Neil, club captain Corry Evans and Alex Pritchard, who joined Birmingham in January. “For me directly, when we are doing shape work I’m mainly against Dan Neil and can’t get near him half the time,” Jones explained. “I’m picking up little things about how to follow him and how to mark him, what he does well so I can put that in my game.

“I had lots of mentorship off Pritch before he left and did some one-to-ones with Corry, who just gives great detail. Obviously he’s been in the game for years and years and is club captain so it’s great to get his advice.

Before he was named on the bench for Sunderland’s Championship match at Southampton, Jones was preparing for an under-21s match at Nottingham Forest the night before. He went on to play 77 minutes for Graeme Murty’s side against Forest, before joining up with the senior squad.

“The 21s had a game on the Friday night against Notts Forest and I was told on the Thursday that I’d be playing, staying over with the first team and then would be on the bench on Saturday,” Jones explained. “Obviously it was a great experience and is a moment I’d dreamed of since being a little kid, and then it happened a week after against QPR.

“The first call was to my dad and my family. They were just proud of me and I have to say a big thanks to them because they are the ones who helped me get to that point, travelling up and down the A1 from far away. It’s all thanks to them really.”

Asked about his aims for next season, Jones replied: “Murts always says you can never say you’ve made it until you’ve made 100 league appearances. That’s obviously miles away for us so it helps keep us grounded and he gives us great detail. Just more development, more playing time, staying fit, which I have done this year, and hopefully more opportunities with the first team.”