Sunderland have named former Carlisle United coach Chris Blake as their new U21 performance analyst.
The 27-year-old will work with Kevin Ball's development side and the other academy teams, monitoring and analysing player performance data, reports the Evening Chronicle.
"I wasn't looking to leave Carlisle but when Sunderland called and offered me the position I was very flattered," said Blake, who had been working within the youth setup at Brunton Park.
"It's an interesting job at a good club and I decided to give it a go.
"It was a hard decision because, while there has been a lot of bad press around Carlisle, I do feel they are going in the right direction and trying to do things the right way.
"It is sad to leave but sometimes you have to take these chances."
