Sunderland academy chief Ged McNamee has highlighted two youngsters with the chance of making it in the first team.
Striker Mikael Mandron and England youth international goalkeeper Jordan Pickford have both been fast-tracked into first-team training this season.
McNamee told The Journal: "Within this Academy there are boys with the potential to go right the way through.
"Some of them - Jordan Pickford, the goalkeeper (for example) - he trains regularly with the first team.
"There's another we have brought in, Mikaël Mandron, who has been training with the first-team. If the boys are showing that potential and that desire, they will train with the first-team."