Sunderland have signed eight youngsters to their Academy for next season.

Dale Connor, James Armstrong, Brett Elliott, Louis Laing, Michael Lamb, Liam Marrs, John Egan and Patrick McEleney - will join the club as full-time scholars in the summer.

Armstrong, a midfielder, is the son of former Sunderland player Gordon Armstrong, who made more than 400 appearances for the Black Cats. Gordon's brother Chris plays for Reading.

Six of the intake are local to the North-East while two, Egan and McEleney, come from the Republic of Ireland.

Lang, an England youth international, has played a number of games for the club's under-18s side this season, as have Elliott and Marrs.