Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg make comments Sunderland fans will love after duo win EFL awards, sights set on ‘another’ prize

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Sunderland duo both won season awards for their own respective individual categories, but made clear their firm focus on the team’s goals with the Championship play-off campaign looming.

Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg; two of the finest young talents the Championship has ever produced.

Former Birmingham City youngster Bellingham has been one of the standout second tier performers, across any age group, this season after notching seven goal contributions in 39 appearances.

Academy of Light graduate Rigg’s meteoric rise has continued this term, with the youngster scoring four in 35 starts under Regis Le Bris, cementing himself as a Championship regular at just 17-years-old.

Both Bellingham and Rigg scooped EFL Awards this week, but their telling comments about Sunderland’s season ahead of their Championship play-offs campaign, will delight the Black Cats faithful even more.

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Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg make Sunderland admission after winning EFL awards

Both Bellingham and Rigg have been instrumental to Sunderland’s promotion push, with their performances catching the attention of Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Manchester United this term.

Le Bris’ side will finish fourth in the Championship table, the position they’ve occupied for several weeks given their recent slump in form, when the weekend’s final day fixtures curtail the regular campaign.

Reflecting on his campaign, the Championship Young Player of the Season, Bellingham told SAFC.com: “I’m grateful to win the award. It’s been a really good season, and I’ve just tried to learn from my teammates and do the best I can.

“I’ve learnt a lot from the gaffer, he has brought great structure to our team. I feel like I’ve progressed a lot.

“It’s great to play for a club as big as Sunderland. It’s a huge opportunity to play in front of such a huge fan base every week. Hopefully we can end the season on a high now.”

Singling out the team’s effort as the main focus to become a Premier League footballer at Sunderland next season, Bellingham also told Sky Sports Football: “Yeah, massively, especially for Sunderland, a massive club that in my eyes deserves to be in the Premier League.

“That’s a massive pull factor to try and get us back to the Premier League, and obviously for our fans too.”

17-year-old Rigg won the Championship’s Apprentice of the Season award after his remarkable breakout campaign.

Much like his midfield teammate, Rigg exhibited a wise head on young shoulders, and made clear that the individual awards pale in comparison to “another award” Sunderland have their sights set on in the upcoming play-off campaign.

Rigg told SAFC.com: “I’m buzzing to win the award – it’s always nice to pick individual awards up and it’s nice to be recognised.

“Hopefully we’re all picking up another award at the end of the season. We’re looking forward now and hopefully we can pick three points up against QPR and go into the Play-Offs on a high.”

The Black Cats’ memorable EFL awards night was a token of their youth-first footballing philosophy, and an ode to the immense talent both Bellingham and Rigg possess, given the quality they both beat to scoop the 24/25 second tier accolades.

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Who Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg beat to win EFL awards

Both Bellingham and Rigg have been tracked by Borussia Dortmund, and it is clear to see why after the duo’s impressive seasons. If Sunderland repeat their worrying play-offs record in the upcoming campaign, then the club risk losing the talismanic teenage duo.

Bellingham scooped the Championship Young Player of the Season award ahead of Sheffield Wednesday loan star Shea Charles and Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley.

Charles has enjoyed an impressive campaign under Danny Rohl on loan from Southampton and will be fighting for a Saints starting spot next season.

Egan-Riley has enjoyed Premier League promotion with Burnley under Scott Parker and was Bellingham’s biggest competitor for the award.

Rigg himself beat Souleymane Sidibe of Stoke City and Ronan Kpakio of Cardiff City.

Sidibe has featured eight times in the Championship this season for the Potters, registering one assist. Full-back Kpakio was one of the Bluebirds’ only shining lights this season, after they suffered relegation to League One, but made only two second tier outings for Cardiff this season.

Rigg’s standout season, with five goal contributions in 41 Championship appearances at just 17-years-old, left him the obvious winner for the Apprentice of the Season award.