Sunderland has officially signed Marcus Neill, son of former footballer Lucas Neill, who had a 19-year professional career with clubs like Millwall, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, and West Ham, and was capped 96 times for Australia.
Marcus Neill, who previously spent five years at Liverpool’s academy, has now joined Sunderland after being recruited last season. Sunderland’s head of recruitment highlighted the club’s strong relationships with Premier League academies and the importance of providing pathways to first-team football for young players.
In February, Sunderland’s head of recruitment praised Marcus Neill, stating, “Liverpool is one of many clubs where we have developed strong relationships, as we know it can be really difficult for academy players at Premier League clubs to have that pathway to first-team football at the speed they would like. So we have to make sure we’re in a position to act when those that don’t necessarily push on at these clubs become available. We jumped on the situation with Marcus and our academy recruitment team, led by Ian Archbold, did a great job in persuading both him and Lucas that coming here was the right place for him to be. It’s all about talent, and Marcus fits a model and the profile of the sort of player we look for. He ticks a lot of the boxes and we believe he can develop with us. Our model is giving youngsters the opportunity and platform to progress, and that’s what we aim to happen here.”
After signing his deal at Sunderland, Marcus Neill expressed his excitement on Instagram: “Happy to officially sign my scholarship deal with @sunderlandafcofficial. Can’t wait for the season ahead ❤️”
Marcus Neill will primarily feature for Sunderland’s under-18 team during the 2024-25 season.