KRISTJAAN SPEAKMAN insists Sunderland are ‘unconcerned’ by the mounting speculation over teenage sensation Chris Rigg.

Rigg committed his future to Sunderland in the summer when he signed his first professional contract with the Black Cats despite alternative offers from a number of clubs in the top-flight.

The 17-year-old has enjoyed a superb start to the current campaign, cementing a starting spot in Regis Le Bris’ first team and scoring goals in home games against Middlesbrough and Leeds United.

His rapid progress has led to renewed speculation over his future, with Manchester United and Newcastle United both having been heavily linked with a potential January move for his services.

Rigg was even touted as a possible target for Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund earlier this autumn, and while Speakman is far from surprised by the increasingly-frenzied transfer talk, he is adamant it does not worry him.

Speaking in an interview with the Second Tier podcast, Sunderland’s sporting director said: “The interest is always a backhanded compliment. Would we rather have a team full of talent where everyone is talking about buying and trading our players, or would we rather have a group that no one's really interested in?

“I think it's not a hard question to answer. So, we try to put ourselves in the right position around our contracts and how we manage our squad, etc. We try to provide that opportunity. We try to ensure that we're aligned with the players.

“I think I've always said that sometimes players will progress faster than the club and there'll be another opportunity for them. We have to respect that.

“We lost young Jack (Clarke) in the summer and he moved on to Ipswich, which I think is the way that the football system works. I don't think we have any issues with that. We'll just take every decision, every event as it comes, and try to deal with it appropriately.”

Speakman played a central role in the summer negotiations over Rigg’s contract, and is delighted with the rate of the teenager’s development under Le Bris so far this season.

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He said: “(I’m) really, really pleased for him because he's such a good kid. There was a lot of speculation last season on him coming out of the Under-21s team and his academy contract - will he stay, will he go somewhere else? - and I think for our football club to be able to retain talent like that, as we have done, I think is a really, really positive thing.

“But then we've also got to believe in that talent and give them the opportunity, and obviously he's had opportunities in the team and he's taken those opportunities. I'm really, really pleased for him, and hopefully that gives a good inspiration to the other players in our academy system that when the opportunity's there, they'll be given time on the pitch.”

Speakman was heavily involved in Jude Bellingham’s development during his time as academy manager at Birmingham, with the midfielder progressing through the youth ranks at St Andrew’s before going on to become one of the leading players in the world.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan SpeakmanSunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman (Image: SAFC)

Understandably, the Black Cats chief does not want to start making lofty predictions about where Rigg might eventually get to, but he also insists it is important not to put a ceiling on ambition.

He said: “I think I've always been a big believer with young players that we have to be really, really careful that we don't binge on them and oversubscribe to greatness.

“I think one of the things I've always felt really passionate about is that we don't put a ceiling on where players can get, but everybody has to reach their ceiling. And for some players, that'll be Champions League, for some of those players, it'll be League Two.

“Chris has the credentials, if you like, and the mentality, especially, to play at the highest level. It's difficult to get there - that's why so few do it. And we'll do everything in our power while he's with us to be able to enhance that and obviously support him to get to the highest level.

“But he's like every young player. They should be dreaming about playing at the very highest level. Their ambition should be to be playing for England and in the Champions League final.

“I've seen it done, so I know it can be done. And like I said, on the way through, there'll be people that'll be sceptical. But the player has to believe.

“The player has to be a dreamer. He has to keep the same mentality when he came through the door at nine years old, dreaming about playing for Sunderland. Him, Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson, they're all doing it, which is obviously fantastic.”