“He’s a wonderful technical player” – Murty praises Whittaker performance

Sunderland Under-21 Lead Coach Graeme Murty hailed Jack Whittaker as a “wonderful, technical player” after reaching the Premier League Cup final on Wednesday.

The Black Cats beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 in an enthralling semi-final at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday to set up a final with Burnley.

One of the main talking points out of the game was the performance of Jack Whittaker, with the two goals the youngster scored to help the Black Cats write history by reaching the Premier League Cup final. 

On Murty’s message to the midfielder pre-match, he said: “Jack’s individual challenge is to make sure he showcases his talent and he’s a wonderful technical player; he receives the ball particularly well and has great vision. 

“We want to make sure he has a whole performance and a 90-minute performance where it’s not all about what he does with the ball.

“He needs to become a player that is a multi-level threat with his running, understanding of the game, and with his defensive work as well.” 

Whittaker has four goals and one assist thus far in this season’s Premier League 2 campaign, and the further two goals reflects his development in the youth setup. 

Additionally, to follow this up, he has been called up for the Club’s first team on numerous occasions, in both the Premier League and FA Cup this season. 

Murty also added: “We will be really happy once he puts in a complete 90-minute performance.

“I thought there was flashes of excellence from him today. 

“No doubt he will call me miserable, but I expect more from him because my standards are high, and I think that’s only to his benefit, because we want him to continue and improve and see where it might take him.” 

The belief that there is more room to grow for Whittaker shows the level of talent on show that he has and what a great prospect the Black Cats have on their hands. 

It further continues to show the uprise in the development of the under-21s for Sunderland after a great last few seasons domestically in the league and cup.