A new year of sport has begun, and a new set of North-East youngsters are hoping to make their mark in 2010. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson has selected ten of the most promising, and will follow their progress over the course of the next 12 months.

RYAN NOBLE - FOOTBALL

SUNDERLAND-BORN Ryan will hope to take his prodigious achievements at Academy and reserve level into the first team this year after breaking into Sunderland’s senior squad in recent weeks.

Last season was the 17- year-old’s first at Academy level, and while his progress was dogged by a persistent ankle injury, he still ended the campaign with eight goals.

The England Under-17 international was in superb form in the first half of the current campaign, scoring 32 goals in just 23 starts for the youth and reserve teams.

As a result, he was called into Steve Bruce’s senior squad for the first time in December, and made his senior debut as a secondhalf substitute in last weekend’s FA Cup win over Barrow.

“He has a bright future, that’s for sure,” said Bruce.

“He’s still got a hell of a lot of growing to do, but he has exceptional pace and a fantastic finish.”

BEN STOKES - CRICKET

ALL-ROUNDER Ben signed his first professional contract when he penned a two-year deal with Durham last month.

The 18-year-old, from Cockermouth, joined Durham’s Academy in 2007 and made his second XI debut in the same year, taking 4-19 against Leicestershire.

He averaged 37 in the Second XI Championship last season, and made his senior debut in the Friends Provident Trophy against Surrey at The Oval.

He will jet off to New Zealand in a fortnight’s time to represent England in the Under-19s World Cup.

“We set Ben a number of challenging targets for the 2009 season and he worked incredibly hard to meet them,” said Durham director of cricket Geoff Cook. “I have been impressed by the way he has performed.”

CRAIG THURSTON - ICE HOCKEY

Billingham-BORN Craig is one of the brightest prospects in British ice hockey, and is expected to make further strides forward in the next 12 months.

The 14-year-old, who is a pupil at Stokesley School, played for Billingham Bombers for two years before joining the Newcastle Vipers’ Academy.

He has represented the North of England on a number of occasions, winning silver medals at tournaments in France and Holland.

He has also been selected for the England Under-15s side, and will compete in international competitions in Italy and Germany later this year.

“I like ice hockey because it’s a fun, fast-paced sport,” said Craig. “My dad got me into it really. He took me skating and I just decided I wanted to give it a go.”

SARAH MOORE - MOTORSPORT

■ By Matt Westcott

LAST year at the tender age of just 15, Sarah Moore was crowned the winner of the prestigious Ginetta Junior Championship, making her Britain’s top female racing driver.

Sarah, from Tockwith, North Yorkshire, clinched the title at Brands Hatch and made history by becoming the first female to win a championship on the TOCA package – the pinnacle of British motorsport competition.

Now 16, she is already one of the most successful women racers across the globe in just her second year competing in cars.

Moore was also nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award, won eventually by diver Tom Daley.

She is set to defend her 2009 championship title this year with new driving team Your Racing Car.

TOM CATTERICK - RUGBY UNION

A FORMER student at Barnard Castle School, Tom was drafted into Newcastle Falcons’ senior squad at the start of the current campaign.

The 19-year-old, who can play at both full-back and fly-half, has made a number of first-team appearances this season, most notably as a second-half replacement in October’s European Challenge Cup win over Albi.

He has represented England at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-19 level, and helped his country to a home nations Grand Slam last season as well as a representative victory in Argentina.

Next month, he is expected to play a prominent role in England’s attempts to win the Under-20s Six Nations tournament.

“Tom’s an extremely talented player, and we’re keen to get him involved as much as we can,” said Falcons director of rugby Steve Bates. “It’s been exciting to chart his progress so far.”

SAM RIDLEY - FENCING

HE MIGHT only be 15, but Wolsingham-born Sam has been selected to compete for Great Britain’s junior squad this season, pitting him against fencers aged 20 and under.

He will continue to compete in the cadet (Under-17) section, and is jetting off to Germany and Sweden for cadet competitions this month.

Provided things go to plan there, he will qualify for the European Cadet Championships in Athens in March.

But his world-class potential is underlined by the British selectors’ willingness to elevate him to the junior ranks, and his main ambition for the following 12 months is to qualify for the World Junior Championships in Azerbaijan in April.

The 2012 Olympics will almost certainly come too soon for him, but if he maintains the progress he has made in the last two years, Sam is a definite contender for the 2016 Games in Brazil.

JESSICA THIELMANN - SWIMMING

FIFTEEN-YEAROLD Jessica is hoping to emulate Richmond’s Jo Jackson by representing the North-East on the world stage this season.

The City of Newcastle youngster, who won a gold medal at 2007’s European Youth Olympic Festival, confirmed her potential when she won three titles at the North-Eastern Championships in Durham last November.

Her performance at that event earned her a maiden senior call-up for the same month’s World Cup Short-Course event in Berlin, and she performed creditably to finish 12th in the women’s 400m Individual Medley.

The Newcastleborn youngster will hope to represent Scotland at October’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and will also compete in the World Youth Swimming Championships in Peru in August.

NIALL FLANNERY - ATHLETICS

AFTER finishing fourth in last year’s Junior European Championships, Cullercoats-born Niall is hoping to go one better at this summer’s Junior World Championships in Canada.

The 18-year-old Gateshead Harrier won the English Schools and English Under-20s 400m hurdles titles last season, but hit the final hurdle in the European event in Serbia and missed out on a medal by inches.

Nevertheless, his performance in finishing fourth was still good enough to win him a prize at UK Athletics’ Hero of the Year award ceremony in Birmingham.

He is now based at UK Athletics’ high performance centre in Loughborough, where he works closely with hurdles coach Nick Dakin and strength and conditioning expert Jared Deacon.

“I’ve stepped up my training over the winter,” said Niall. “And everything is pointing to me running quicker this year.”

DAVID DANIELL - CYCLING

HAVING broken into the senior ranks last season, this should be the year when Middlesbrough-born David cements a place on the world stage.

Having taken up cycling with Cleveland Wheelers, the 20-year-old already boasts two Junior World Championship gold medals in the team sprint.

He claimed his first World Cup victory in October 2008, and added two senior silver medals at last November’s Manchester Track World Cup event.

This year, he will be gunning for gold at the senior World Championships in Copenhagen in March, where he is expected to compete in the new omnium event that will be added to the Olympic programme for the 2012 Games.

LUKE WILLIAMS - FOOTBALL

HAILING from the Teesville area of Middlesbrough, Luke is the latest player to emerge from Middlesbrough Football Club’s celebrated Academy production line.

The 16-year-old, who attended the same St Peter’s Roman Catholic School in South Bank as Boro great Wilf Mannion, was promoted to the senior squad in Gordon Strachan’s first month as manager.

He was an unused substitute at QPR in December and, at 16 years, five months and three weeks old, became the youngest player to play for Middlesbrough for 105 years when he came off the bench at Barnsley on December 28.

He is already an England Under-17 international, but is also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland at senior level.

“Luke has revitalised some of the training sessions we’ve had,” said Strachan. “I see no reason why he can’t progress at the club and do well.”