Sunderland goalkeeper wanted in extended loan deal amid EFL interest claim

Blyth Spartans manager Michael Connor has admitted he would love to extend the loan deal of Sunderland goalkeeper Adam Richardson until the end of the season - but claimed EFL interest in the Black Cats youngster could scupper his hopes.

After spending a short loan spell with Northern Premier League Premier Division club Hebburn Town earlier this season and remained in the third tier of the non-league game when he joined Spartans on an initial two-month agreement last month. After making his debut in a 2-1 defeat at Warrington Rylands in what was Connor’s first game in charge of the Croft Park club, Richardson has gone on to make a further first appearances as is expected to be in the starting eleven for Saturday’s home game with Prescot Cables after shaking off a knock.

As it stands, a home game against Mickleover on the final Saturday of January is set to be the last of Richardson’s time as a Spartan - and Connor has stressed alleged interest from elsewhere have ‘complicated’ his hopes of extending the deal until the end of the season.

He told The Echo: “The current agreement comes to an end in January but we are hoping to get it extended until the end of the season. However, Sunderland might have Football League clubs looking at Adam so that’s complicates it from our point of view. We would love to have him until the end of the season because he has been fantastic for us since we brought him in.

“According to Sunderland, Adam has growing pains at the moment and he’s sprouted quite a bit over the last year so his body is playing a bit of catch-up and that’s why he’s picked up some little niggles - but we would love to have him with us for the rest of the season.”