Patrick Roberts has urged chris rigg and Eliezer Mayenda to stay patient, resilient and focused after recent setbacks at Sunderland, telling the young pair to “keep believing” as they fight for minutes. The Birmingham City attacker framed his advice around the emotional ups and downs of breaking through at elite level, citing loan spells and lost opportunities he experienced himself. The guidance comes in the wake of reduced roles and criticism following a shock FA Cup defeat to Port Vale last weekend.
Roberts’ message to Chris Rigg and Eliezer Mayenda
Roberts, a former Sunderland winger now with Birmingham City, drew directly on his own pathway — including a move to Manchester City at 18 and subsequent loan spells — to counsel Sunderland’s emerging forwards. He told the young players that football is “very up and down” and urged them to accept the bad moments, work hard and be ready when chances arrive. The practical advice is aimed at two prospects who have seen their Premier League minutes trimmed under manager Régis Le Bris: Mayenda, still only 20, and Rigg, who remains 18 and is being carefully managed.
Immediate reactions from Patrick Roberts
“I look at myself when I was that age. I moved to Manchester City when I was 18 and I know how tough that was, ” Roberts said, speaking from experience. “Maybe I didn’t make the most of it as I could have, but I kind of know what it was like. Even when he went on loan to Hibs he’d come back and maybe not be in the team. I’d always tell him, ‘Just keep going, you’ll always get a chance. ‘”
Roberts emphasised simple, repeatable habits: keep working hard, keep improving and seize opportunities when they come. He pointed to the arc he witnessed with a teammate who returned from loan, then went on to score regularly, using that trajectory as proof that persistence can pay off. Those comments were offered directly to protect confidence and to normalise the uncertainty young players face when first breaking through.
Quick context
Both players were heavily criticised after poor performances in the recent FA Cup defeat to Port Vale, a result that has intensified scrutiny. Sunderland’s current management approach has made Premier League minutes harder to come by for emerging players, magnifying the psychological challenge of early-career setbacks.
What’s next for chris rigg and the squad
Roberts urged continued patience as the immediate remedy: train well, accept careful management, and wait for opportunities to arise. For chris rigg and Eliezer Mayenda the near-term focus will be on responding to criticism through work on the training ground and readiness for selection, with the wider club setup under Régis Le Bris likely to dictate when those opportunities come. The coming weeks will reveal whether sustained form in training and reserve minutes translate into a return to first-team action.
