Why Chris Rigg’s performances for Sunderland and England will lead him towards stardom
Sunderland’s Chris Rigg is touted as one of the most promising talents in English football.
After captaining England Under-19s to a 7-0 win over Latvia on 14 October, scoring a goal in the process, he is once again making the headlines for all the right reasons.
Sunderland announced on 28 August that Rigg had signed a new contract that will keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2030.
Sunderland have made many impressive signings during the transfer window, but tying down their star talent is one of their best pieces of business.
Chris Rigg is going from strength to strength in a Sunderland shirt
Rigg, who is the youngest outfield player and scorer in the club’s history, featured in 45 out of 46 Championship games last season.
Despite taking more of a backseat this season, with Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, and Noah Sadiki taking up the midfield starting roles in the Premier League, it is undeniable that Rigg has an incredible future ahead of him.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that Regis Le Bris has given him six appearances in the top flight in 2025-26, with three coming from the start.
| Season | Appearances |
| 2022-23 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 22 |
| 2024-25 | 47 |
| 2025-26 | 7 |
The English midfielder has a versatile skillset, with his flair and quality on the ball also complementing his work rate.
Rigg came into the side following Diarra’s injury, and it’s evident that if Xhaka or Sadiki were unavailable at this moment, the 18-year-old would instantly be called into the starting line-up.
There is still a lot more to come from Rigg, and with AFCON meaning Sadiki and Diarra will be missing for the best part of a month, he will undoubtedly be given a consistent run of games.
Having made 11 appearances for the England U19s, it’s only a matter of time before he moves up the age groups in the Three Lions set-up.
Chris Rigg has an abundance of maturity for an 18-year-old
Rigg’s maturity for a player of his age is remarkable, and it’s been seen multiple times throughout his career.
After Chemsinde Talbi’s winner against Chelsea, Rigg ran straight over to congratulate Brian Brobbey for his work in the build-up to the goal.
With Brobbey clearly low in confidence due to his lack of minutes, it was refreshing to see such a young player do something positive to lift his senior teammate.
The other side to Rigg’s game is his ability to handle so much pressure, and his spectacular winning goal against Middlesbrough on 21 September 2024 was completed with such ease.
His ceiling is sky-high, and every Black Cats supporter is eagerly waiting to see what he does next in a Sunderland shirt.
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