Comparing Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle United's most exciting wonderkid | OneFootball

Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle United haven’t been in the same division since the 2008-09 season.

The trio have all had stints as mainstays in the Premier League, but Boro have spent most of the last 15 years outside of the top flight.

Sunderland have slipped out of the top division as well, suffering relegation in 2017 after a decade at that level.

Both Boro and Sunderland made the play-off last year, but Newcastle went from strength to strength by qualifying for the Champions League.

Who has the best wonderkid between Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland?

A key battleground for all three clubs will be attracting the best young talent the area has to offer.

Newcastle may have an edge on the pitch at the moment, but here we compare each club’s best upcoming young talent to see who has the edge in that important aspect of their respective clubs…

Each of these three teams has one exciting young talent that could form the backbone of their side for the next decade.

Sunderland’s is a new arrival at the club, summer signing Jobe Bellingham joined from Birmingham City in a big-money move.

Middlesbrough’s brightest young talent emerged into Michael Carrick’s first team squad last season, with Hayden Hackney becoming a key part of the team during the course of 2023.

Meanwhile, Elliot Anderson remains on the fringes of Eddie Howe’s plans at St. James’ Park.

The trio all play in midfield, making comparing them all a little easier.

Is Jobe Bellingham as good as Hayden Hackney or Elliot Anderson?

Bellingham has started every league game for Sunderland so far this season, with the youngster emerging as one of the top young talents in the Championship.

His breakout year with Birmingham last season showed he had plenty of potential, but he is now delivering consistent performances in Mowbray’s side and his development has taken a big stride forward as a result.

Bellingham has contributed two goals to Mowbray’s side so far this term, and is proving an attacking threat from midfield.

At just 18, there are still areas where he needs to improve, but his potential is obvious.

This is an area where Newcastle struggles compared to their rivals, with Anderson still to really cement his place as a regular starter in Howe’s team.

He has made two Premier League starts this campaign, and a further four substitute appearances, but he has shown what he’s capable of with a small sample size of playing time.

Anderson enjoyed a fruitful League Two loan to Bristol Rovers two seasons ago, but has struggled for game time since which could’ve hurt his development.

However, he has not backed down from the challenge of playing in the Premier League, and could really grow into an important role in Newcastle’s squad if he can perform when given a chance.

Meanwhile, Hackney is a key figure for Carrick’s side, whose form has dipped since losing the play-off semi-final earlier this year, but the 21-year-old is still showing every week why he has the trust of the Boro manager.

He is one of the best midfielders in the Championship despite Boro’s bad start to this season, and will be key to any potential promotion push the team can muster this year.