Sunderland have announced the signing of Hackney-born winger, Nicky Gyimah, reportedly fending off interest from several Premier League clubs to secure his signature.

The talented, youth prospect was formerly on the books of Peterborough United, before trialling at Middlesbrough earlier on this season.

Gyimah is a product of Onside Academy – a London-based showcase academy committed to developing the best talent across the capital and providing them with pathways into clubs across the football pyramid.

Run by former Manchester United regional scout, Alexander Kuye, Onside have been increasingly successful at creating opportunities for young, aspiring footballers throughout the London boroughs.

This signing is just the latest example of their great work, following on from a long list of names that have gone on to sign scholars and professional deals after being scouted at Onside’s showcase fixtures.

Speaking to the gazette, Gyimah expressed his delight at securing the move.

“Signing for Sunderland is a massive moment for myself, and my family of course. Asamoah Gyan played for this club, and as a fellow Ghanaian, there was no way I was going to say no to the Black Cats.

“The Sunderland fans were also a huge factor in my decision to join.

"An opportunity to play in front of 30,000 fans in League One speaks for itself.

"How many other sides can match that? It’s a great club with lots of character, I’m determined to play my part to help take us back up to where we belong.”

Having signed a scholarship aged 14 with Peterborough United, Gyimah was unfortunate not to be offered a professional deal, despite impressing during his time at the club.

He scored 17 goals during the 2020/21 season across the u18 and u23 age groups, attracting interest from clubs in the Premier League and VfL Wolfsburg in Germany.

“Not getting a professional deal at Peterborough was difficult to take because I thought I did well, scoring a lot of goals during my time there.

"After they let me go, I was training even harder, putting the work in at the gym, I even got a job just to keep myself occupied and take my mind off things.”

“What God has written, no one can change. I just made sure my faith remained. I kept working hard and putting in the extra effort to reach the next step.”

Securing a move to Sunderland was a testament to his great strength and character to continue to chase his dream, despite things not going the way he would have envisioned.

Gyimah embodies the culture that exists at Onside, proving to those out there that anything is possible with the right preparation and consistent hard work.

“Everybody at Onside has been amazing, especially Alex, initially helping me get the opportunity at Peterborough and now Sunderland.

"I think there are a lot of players who are talented but don’t have the right support network to thrive, so I’m very grateful to be a part of the Onside family.”

Initially, Gyimah will be integrated into the u23 set up at Sunderland for the remainder of this season, under the watchful eyes of Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor.

If there is one thing to take from his journey so far, his motivation and determination to succeed are worth noting and should put him in good stead to make the right impressions at his new club.

“Whilst I’m proud to have made it this far, I’m already focused on my next goal, I haven’t come this far to just make up the numbers. I’ve already set myself targets for the u23s, with the ultimate aim of making my professional debut.”