Former Irish League youngster determined 'to keep performing' after impressing at Sunderland
Former Glentoran youngster Rhys Walsh continues to impress at Sunderland and wants to “keep performing” after scoring his first Premier League Two goal of the season.
The 18-year-old joined Sunderland’s academy last February and after providing five goal contributions in 10 matches for the club’s U18s at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Walsh has been a consistent presence in their U21 side this season.
Walsh made three Premiership appearances for the Glens before earning his move to England and netted in last week’s comfortable 5-0 success over Wolves, scoring past former Glenavon goalkeeper Josh Gracey, who signed a first professional contract at Molineux in January.
He also provided an assist in that fixture and Walsh will hope to follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Dan Ballard and Trai Hume by becoming an established senior Sunderland star in the future.
Walsh has played in nine of their 13 Premier League Two matches this term, including against the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, and the Northern Ireland youth international wants to keep progressing.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and I think my performances have improved throughout the season, which is down to the advice I’ve received from the coaches,” Walsh told the club’s website. “They want the best for you and are committed to helping you improve.
"They challenge and push you to be better, which has helped my game. The lads have all been great, too, which has helped me settle in.
“I think the first (goal) is always the hardest because there is more pressure to get it, so hopefully, whenever I receive an opportunity to play, I can add more goals to help the team.”
Sunderland currently sit eighth in Premier League Two ahead of Monday’s clash with Reading and are chasing a spot in the PL International Cup, a competition which pits some of Europe’s best academies against each other.
“I've seen this year through the level of opposition we’ve faced just how important it is to play these international teams, so we definitely want to be playing these sorts of sides again next season,” he added. “You want to be involved in the biggest games, but we need to continue working hard to make sure we qualify.
“We are in a good position, but we can’t rest and need to work hard in every training session and match until the season finishes.
“I want to keep performing and help the team achieve our goals.”