“Sunderland Boss Uses Messi Quote to Hype Up Rising Black Cats Talent—You Won’t Believe What He Said!
The Sunderland starlet played a key role in his team’s impressive 6-0 victory over Derby County this week. U21s coach Graeme Murty has urged patience when evaluating the development of emerging full-back Jenson Jones.
The teenager delivered an outstanding performance, scoring one goal and providing an assist as the Black Cats dominated Derby County at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground. Jones has become a regular presence in Murty’s defense this season and has shown significant promise in recent weeks, but his coach emphasizes the need to temper expectations.
After the match, Murty remarked: “Everyone is eager to get a quick snapshot of a player. Jenson has been with us for a long time. Didn’t Messi say it took 17 years to become an overnight sensation? Players develop and mature at different rates—some physically, some technically. We need to keep an eye on the long-term picture.”
He continued, “Jenson is making steady progress. We must nurture his development carefully, as he is physically behind some of his peers. It’s important to support him in a long-term way and establish ongoing goals.”
Murty also noted, “In our industry, we can sometimes rush to label young players as ready when they may not be. We need to exercise a bit more patience, and hopefully, that will pay off in the future.”
Monday’s match was one of the most dominant performances by Sunderland’s U21s this season. Alongside Jones, new signing Aaron Connolly and first-team player Nazariy Rusyn also scored, with Tommy Watson netting two goals and Caden Kelly adding a penalty. The Black Cats’ next match in Premier League 2 will be an away game against Norwich City on October 25th.
