MIKE DODDS has told Sunderland supporters to “get excited” about Chris Rigg after the teenager made his first Championship start in last night’s 1-0 defeat to Leicester City.

Despite not turning 17 until June, Rigg was handed a full league debut against the Championship leaders at the Stadium of Light.

He responded with a composed and mature midfield display that saw him diligently carry out his defensive duties as Sunderland successfully calmed Leicester’s early attacking storm, while also becoming increasingly prominent as an attacking force as the game wore on.

Having burst onto the scene while he was still at school last season, Rigg has had to bide his time since signing a first professional contract with the Black Cats last summer.

Dodds and the rest of Sunderland’s coaching team have never doubted his ability though, and there is a good chance he will get plenty more chances to impress in the remaining ten games of the season.

“I really liked his (Rigg) performance,” said the Black Cats’ interim head coach. “I thought he was really selfless in terms of the out-of-possession stuff because they tweaked one or two things which we didn’t expect.

“I felt Riggy adapted to it really well. The plan was to maybe get an hour out of him, but I knew he would go to the well. I knew he would give us absolutely everything, and that’s why I thought it was a really good game for him, because we needed everyone to empty the tank.

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“I just felt that, in the second half, he was so effective, I left him on for as long as I possibly could, taking into account that he’s a first-year scholar. People should be excited by Riggy. I’m excited to work with him over the next few years, I think he’s potentially a wonderful talent.”

While accepting that his side desperately need to arrest a losing run that has now stretched to five games, Dodds felt there were a number of other positives to emerge from his side’s latest defeat.

He was pleased with the spirit his side showed as they battled their way back into the game, and was also impressed with the composure they displayed as they attempted to fashion an equaliser in the second half.

He also felt Sunderland’s substitutes made a positive impact, singling out Adil Aouchiche for special praise. While the Frenchman has not started a game since December, he must have a good chance of returning to the side for Saturday’s game at Southampton.

“I thought Adil was excellent when he came on,” said Dodds. “We’ve got Adil in a good spot in terms of his concentration, and I said to him after the game, ‘You’ve got to stay on this path now – you can’t come away from the direction you’re going’. I was really happy with Adil and the impact that he made coming off the bench.”