Sunderland Under 23's manager Elliott Dickman is set to leave the club to take over the same role at local rivals Newcastle United, The Daily Mail's North East Football correspondent Craig Hope has claimed.

Dickman has been part of the behind the scenes setup at Sunderland for the past 26 years, working as a youth player and academy coach, before taking over his role as the Under 23s manager in 2017.

Now however, it seems as though Dickman is set to make the short, and shock, move across the North East.

According to this latest update from Hope, Dickman is now set to leave his role as manager of Sunderland's Under 23s, to become head of the same age group at Newcastle.

It is thought that the move to take Dickman from Wearside to Tyneside by the end of this week.

Currently, Sunderland sit tenth in the Under 23s' Premier League Two Division Two table, with Newcastle currently occupying seventh place in that same division.

The Verdict

This feels like it will be a big, and rather difficult to take, blow for those of a Sunderland persuasion.

Having been around the club for so long, Dickman is no doubt a huge presence behind the scenes for the Black Cats, and one who can offer plenty of insight for any new arrivals at the club.

He has also overseen the progress of a number of players from the academy to the first-team, so his departure from Sunderland will no doubt be a big loss at the Stadium of Light.

The fact that he is leaving for the club's biggest rivals Newcastle, so soon after the high profile takeover of the Magpies, is only going to make things even more frustrating for those involved with Sunderland.