Waghorn could be Keane's lifeblood

A year on the Wear: Sunderland won 6-1 the other night. You might have missed it - only 487 were at the Stadium of Light to see it - and in the scheme of things, a thumping FA Youth Cup victory over Norwich City hardly matters should Sunderland's big team lose on the same pitch to Aston Villa today.

But in another way, in a longer term, Tuesday was a promisingly cold night on Wearside.

A stocky, darting 17-year-old striker called Martyn Waghorn scored a hat-trick. It would be no surprise to see the teenager from South Shields appear on a Premier League bench soon. "He's close," Roy Keane said yesterday.

Waghorn first played for the club's under-18s aged 15 and has done well in the reserves. He has a first-team squad number of 39 and has trained with the first team this week.

After the demolition of Norwich, Keane went into the dressingroom to congratulate Sunderland's teenagers, as did their manager, the old midfield pugilist Kevin Ball.

"Healthy," was Ball's assessment of Sunderland's Academy, which is something considering the club's finances pre-takeover 16 months ago.

Thirteen of the 16 players named on Tuesday are local. Two, Niall McArdle and Conor Hourihane, are from Malahide and Cork. Both were part of a team that clipped the ball around pleasingly and Ball said: "Our philosophy has always been to play football on the deck, we want players to learn to play here, that's been the philosophy as long as I've been here. Obviously with the manager being the way he is, and coming from the clubs he's been at, he wants us to carry that on.

"I always say to the players: 'Wanting to win is more important than winning.' I think winning is a by-product of that. What we look at is performance, are players progressing?"

In Waghorn's case the answer is undoubtedly "Yes". Anticipation says Waghorn will be the next Academy boy to follow Grant Leadbitter's path but as Ball spoke of Leadbitter, and how he coached him from the age of nine at his school team, he displayed wariness about the sense of expectation that can surround a young boy. "It is pressure," Ball said.

And as he talked on, the name of Richie Ryan came up. Ryan, a gifted midfielder who was signed from Belvedere aged 16 towards the end of the Peter Reid era, was often Leadbitter's senior partner in Sunderland's youth team. Ryan is a year older than Leadbitter; he made his Premier League debut two years before Leadbitter.

It came three months after Ryan's 18th birthday, against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light, April 2003. There would be easier games in which to begin a career. Newcastle were led by Alan Shearer and had Craig Bellamy up front alongside him, but presumably Mick McCarthy thought "what the hell".

McCarthy himself had just arrived, replacing Howard Wilkinson who had replaced Reid. All in one season.

Although he was given only 14 minutes, Ryan impressed. There was a buzz about him then and a fortnight later he was given the second half against an Arsenal team spearheaded by Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

That was the last game of a relegation season and Ryan was one of Sunderland's few reasons for cheer.

But then came a hip injury, then came non-selection and by August 2005 Ryan was lining up for Scunthorpe two divisions below. "It was tough," Ryan said, "After I'd played in those couple of games I was injured pre-season and nearly lost a whole season with my hip.

"I came back fit but never really got a chance off Mick McCarthy. I think he'd made up his mind. I was disappointed the way it ended."

Scunthorpe did not last long. After one season Ryan was off downwards, to Boston United - August 2006. But it was no club for a young man trying to resurrect his career to be at. In May this year Boston were relegated two divisions from the Football League having been deducted points and placed into administration. There were allegations galore.

"You wouldn't believe what was going on there," Ryan said.

Then what? "Well, I knew Warren Joyce when he was youth team coach at Leeds and he'd called me last January to see if I fancied coming over here. I did, but it couldn't happen. Then in June, the mess Boston were in, I was able to get out. It's taken a bit of getting used to and I've yet to get a good run in the team but it's okay. I've signed for a year with the option of another."

Three months after his 18th birthday, sharing teamsheets with Shearer, Henry and Bergkamp, Richie Ryan never thought that at 22 he'd be playing in the Belgian second division. Warren Joyce is manager of Royal Antwerp.

Ryan is fortunate that Royal Antwerp are a Manchester United feeder club, as that brings company from the likes of Belfast teenager Craig Cathcart just now.

But Ryan is again at a struggling club. "Antwerp have a big history and a big reputation so every game is like a cup final," he said. But they are 14th and six points off relegation. Tonight it is a local derby against Waasland, who are 15th.

After it, as he said he always does, Ryan will watch Match of the Dayand think of England. And Grant Leadbitter.

"It's nice to see Grant doing well, but, honestly, it's a bit frustrating as well. At the time it was always me and him together."

At 22 Ryan is far from old, but he also feels far from Martyn Waghorn.

"Advice! Try to appreciate it. Don't throw it away. Keep your head down, keep working. Realise what you've got."