AFC Sunderland have completed the signing of former Everton U21 captain Morgan Feeney on a short-term contract.
The Black Cats announced the signing of Feeney on Friday, with the lifelong Everton supporter moving to the Stadium of Light on a deal believed to be for the one season after impressing manager Phil Parkinson in training following his release.
Everton allowed Feeney to find a new club earlier this summer when it was decided that he, along with a range of fellow academy players, would not be offered new terms to continue their careers on Merseyside.
Feeney had been with Everton’s youth set-up since the age of seven but failed to earn himself new terms whilst away on loan for the latter half of last season, having sustained a hamstring injury during his first appearance for Tranmere Rovers.
The 21-year-old now moves to the north east in the hopes of forging a career in the professional game, having made just two first-team appearances for the Blues and with both coming in the Europa League Group Stage back in November 2017.
Bootle-born Feeney is not downbeat about having to find a new side and expressed his joy in joining Sunderland when his short-term contract was announced.
“I’m made up to be here,” he told Sunderland’s official website. “It’s a massive club and when a team like Sunderland want you, you don’t think twice.
“After such a long time at Everton, I couldn’t really ask for much more than to come to a club like this and I can’t wait to get started.”
Did Feeney deserve more first-team opportunities?
Yes
No
While Feeney cannot wait to get started and play first-team football in League One with Sunderland, confirmation of his move to the Stadium of Light brings thoughts that he was failed by Everton after 15-years in our academy.
During his time in David Unsworth’s Under 23s, Feeney was valued so highly that he was made the captain and yet he was not given the chance to test himself in the first-team – even just in the odd Carabao Cup or early-round FA Cup fixture.
Had he been given the chance to prove himself under Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva or Carlo Ancelotti, then we may have seen the 6 ft 2 centre-half earn himself more minutes and ultimately a contract.
Ancelotti certainly benefited from calling on youngster Jarrad Branthwaite toward the end of the 2019/20 season when the 18-year-old was suddenly thrust into the senior fold, making his Premier League debut against Wolves, featuring heavily against Aston Villa and going on to start versus Sheffield United and Bournemouth.
Had the same chance been offered to Feeney, who knows what the prospect would have been capable of.