UNITED States skipper Claudio Reyna could find himself sitting on the substitutes' bench at Southampton this afternoon as Sunderland manager Peter Reid keeps faith with a young player who has come through the ranks.

Tynesider Paul Thirlwell only kept his place against Chelsea last week because the Wearsiders' latest £4.5m signing was carrying a groin strain - but the 22-year-old was so impressive Reid is set to give him a vote of confidence at the St Mary's Stadium.

Reid confirmed that Reyna - runner-up in this week's USA Footballer of the Year awards - is available for a Premiership debut.

But he said: "Paul Thirlwell did really, really well against Chelsea - he was the best player on the pitch.

"I rate him very highly. He won tackles, he was positive and he never gave the ball away.

"He's in good form and deserves a run in the side - I think that gives a clue as to the team I'll pick."

Reid added: "Sometimes you look at young players and you try to protect them by playing them in certain games and then pulling them out.

"But he's at an age now where his performances are at a level where I can't leave him out.

"He's had to be patient because I don't change teams for the sake of it, but he's certainly given me a selection dilemma - but the kind I like."

Newcastle-born Thirlwell, who joined Sunderland straight from school as an apprentice in 1995, is thrilled with the prospect of a run in the side. He said: "When you are at a Premiership club you know there's going to be a lot of competition for places and it's good for a side when players know they have to play well to stay in.

"The manager has spent a lot of money on Claudio and he's a good player, one of a few battling for the four places in midfield.

"I was pleased with the way I played against Chelsea - it was one of the best team displays this season and I've just got to keep doing it.

"Everyone wants to play in the first team and I'm enjoying it - I just hope I'm involved at Southampton and it's a game I think we can win."

Reid also praised the performance of George McCartney, who came in against Chelsea in place of the suspended Swiss international Bernt Haas at right-back, even though he is a naturally left-sided player. Haas is likely to return to the starting line-up, but Reid was quick to praise McCartney's stand-in performance.

He said: "I was pleased with George McCartney, who is another of the outstanding prospects we have.

"But we've got a lot of very good young players coming through like Kevin Kyle, David Bellion, Paul Thirlwell, George McCartney and Ben Clark - there is a solid nucleus there who have a great chance of playing at this level and I'd have no qualms about sticking them in.

"When I do that it's great for the under-17s who see it and it works as a tremendous incentive to them knowing they will get a chance and it gives them a goal to aim for."

Reid, however, is prepared to be ultra-cautious with his £3.5m buy from Argentina, Nicolas Medina, and admits that the young South American may not break on to the first team scene until next season.

He said: "He's a lovely footballer and he's getting stronger all the time, but we might have to wait until next season before we see him at his best.

"Although we paid a lot for him he was always one for the future. He hasn't been helped by a virus he picked up at the start of the season and playing in the Under-20 World Championships in the summer also took a lot out of him."

Reyna, meanwhile, believes that his new club is about to shoot its way up the table.

The midfielder might have been forced to miss last week's home draw against Chelsea, but he benefited from being able to watch his new clubmates in action.

Now Reyna feels that his new side can solve the goalscoring problem which has blighted their season so far.

He said: "The team is creating a lot of chances at the moment so we shouldn't be worried about not scoring goals - I'm sure we're about to turn the corner.

"I don't think it is a huge problem because we're getting into the box and it just needs that little bit extra to get the ball into the net - and we have the players to do that."

Eight-goal Kevin Phillips has impressed Reyner, who says the best striker he has played with in his career so far was the German international Rudi Voller at Leverkeusen.

He said: "Kevin Phillips compares with him from a goalscoring perspective. Like Voller he's really crafty in the box and both score wonderful goals as well as typical strikers' goals.

"Kevin is a great striker - his scoring ability is no secret and he's a proven goalscorer."

Reyna, who was voted runner-up in the USA's Player of the Year awards this week for the third season in a row, feels he is ready to make his bow in English football.

He said: "I started training on Tuesday and my groin feels okay - I'll be ready to play if I'm called up.''

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