Sunderland gem Chris Rigg was in action for England U17s once again on Tuesday night.
Rigg, 16, is enjoying a breakthrough season with Sunderland in the Championship, and with England on the international stage too.
The midfielder made his Championship debut earlier in the season and bagged his first league goal for the club, with 13 league appearances and one goal to his name this season.
Rigg has also become a regular feature for England’s U17s too, playing and scoring in a 5-0 win over Hungary last time out, whilst also taking the captain’s armband as well.
Rigg also led his team out against France on Tuesday night, though it wasn’t as pleasant an outing for the Black Cats prodigy.
Chris Rigg sent off for England U17s vs France
England found themselves a goal behind after 18 minutes of the game vs France, and then a man down after 25 minutes.
Rigg was shown a straight red card in the game and England went on to lose 2-1 in the Euro U17 qualification clash, with the Three Lions now 2nd in Group 1 behind France.
Common Chris Rigg theme emerging after England U17s clash
Rigg is still very young, and it seems very naive.
That’s the word that was used to described him in the 4-2 defeat vs Southampton in the Championship earlier this month when Rigg brought down Ryan Manning inside the box.
It was a rash and needless tackle which gave away a penalty and kick-started another poor defeat for the Black Cats that day.
And this straight red card seems to suggest that Rigg needs to be more in control of his tackling and so on, which is something that can definitely be worked on over time.
Chris Rigg issue will be worrying for Sunderland
Rigg is becoming an established member of the Sunderland first-team, and next season he could well become an important member of the first-team too.
He’s showing his quality in the Championship with his daring performances and enthusiasm going forward.
But this emerging trend of poor tackles is something that will be worrying for Mike Dodds and co at the Stadium of Light.
It’s arguably something that comes with experience, though it can also be something that can be worked on right away.
Rigg simply needs better timing and better decision-making in defensive situations, so expect this area of his game to be a focal point for Dodds and the Sunderland coaches.
All in all though, it’s still an excellent season for Rigg, who continues to turn heads.