After man of the match Sunderland-Newcastle derby performance, defender looking for new club

Promising young full back Josh Robson has been told by the club that he won’t be offered a new deal in the summer and is available to explore other options.

Robson - who hails from Bedlington - was originally signed in 2014 and has featured as part of the first team squad only once, as an unnamed substitute in our 6-3 League Cup win over Exeter City.

Along with midfielder Chris Allan, Robson has been informed by Sunderland that they won’t be keeping him at the club come the end of the season, regardless of where we end up, and is free to leave if he’s able to find a club elsewhere.

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It’s believed that Robson - like Michael Ledger, who is due to sign with second-flight side Notodden FK - is exploring potential options in Norway in a bid to earn a deal playing professional football at a competitive level.

The 20-year old defender put in a man of the match performance yesterday evening for the U23s in their Premier League International cup game with Newcastle United, displaying some superb last-ditch defending and leadership in a game that was ultimately won by the away side having been decided by penalty kicks.

Robson signed a two-year contract extension with the club in the summer of 2016 and was an integral part of Sam Allardyce’s pre-season plans, impressing in a game against Borussia Dortmund, but hasn’t been given much of an opportunity in the time since and has largely been restricted to occasional outings for the U23s side.