'It's not really a debate': Newcastle United target Chris Rigg finally opens up on his allegiance since becoming a star at Sunderland

There aren't many reasons to be envious of Sunderland if you're a Newcastle United fan nowadays, if there ever was, but their 17-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg is perhaps the one thing we wish we had.

Sunderland managed to hold off an attempt by Newcastle to poach Chris Rigg when he signed his first professional contract and the Hebburn-born lad has gone on to be Sunderland's best player already.

All of his success has taken place while stories continued to suggest that Rigg grew up as a Newcastle United fan. Indeed, his whole family are black and white, so it must have been a tough pill to swallow for them to see their boy sign for the Mackems.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Chris Rigg has now claimed that his dad is a 'secret mackem', which I suppose is understandable, but we're sure he'll drop that bad habit the second Rigg moves to a new club.

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But what of the player himself? Having been scooped up at 5 years old to join the Sunderland academy, making his debut at 15 and becoming a regular starter, has Rigg been fully converted? It seems so.

“Sunderland are my club, I’ve been here my whole life. I come from a family of Newcastle fans, there is no point hiding that, but it changes when you play for Sunderland in front of those fans.

“My family being Newcastle fans has no impact on me, it doesn’t change the way I feel about Sunderland. The fans have been unbelievable. They could have thought, ‘Nah, he’s a Newcastle fan’ or whatever, but I think I’ve shown what this club means to me. It’s not really a debate.

“My dad gives me a little bit of stick, but he comes to all Sunderland’s games. I think he is a secret Mackem now. He puts his son above everything, he loves watching me and he absolutely loves coming to our games.”

Rigg says it's his dream to play for Sunderland in the Premier League and the Mackems will be hoping that dream will come true next season as they fight their way through the playoffs.

The playoffs haven't been kind to Sunderland of late, and their recent form is also a big worry for the Black Cats, so we hope Rigg isn't getting his hopes up too much.

Let's hope that Newcastle can convince him to come home at some point, and we'll see how his story changes then.