Mason Cotcher got off to a great start on trial with Leeds United as he looks to sign a contract to stay with the club.
The former Sunderland teenager was brought in for the Whites to consider alongside Manchester United’s Majid Balogun last month, and he promptly scored the winner against his former club in a 1-0 victory for the under-18s on February 24.
Cotcher, 17, has spent time with United and Arsenal since leaving the North East this season, but has yet to be offered a full-time contract.
That may change now that he has arrived in West Yorkshire, with the Sunderland Echo claiming on February 28 that the forward might join the club following his match-winner.
He is highly regarded and has been linked with Rangers and Brighton, although the Black Cats attempted to retain him prior to his summer departure.
Former Sunderland teenager returns to torment his former side at Leeds United.
Sunderland will be compensated if and when he signs elsewhere, and it appears that scoring the winner against your previous club is a good way to draw the appropriate type of attention to Rob Etherington’s team.
There has been no shortage of sought-after talent arriving at Thorp Arch in recent seasons, but the rate of successful promotion to the senior squad has been disappointing.
Archie Gray is a true homegrown success story, but while Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood have threatened to benefit from the “emerging talent” investment programme, their development has stalled, and the former has likely played his final game for the club because he is on a loan-to-buy at the Stadium of Light that is expected to be activated.
Mateo Joseph’s double in the 3-2 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea on February 28th was a promising sign, and while Cotcher may still have a long way to go before he can expect for a similar route, he appears to have begun in the right direction with Leeds United.
