Sunderland sporting manager Kristjaan Speakman says promotion to the Premier League would vindicate their absorption connected youth.
The Black Cats are preparing for the Championship play-off last against Sheffield United astatine Wembley connected Saturday (15:01 BST).
Of their starting XI successful the 2nd limb of the semi-final against Coventry City, conscionable 2 players were aged implicit 25.
Five of the 20 players successful the squad came done the club's academy, led by Dan Neil and Chris Rigg.
"The astir satisfying happening would beryllium achieving it, doing it the mode we judge it should person been done," Speakman told BBC's Look North.
"That is precise important due to the fact that past we've lived and breathed our culture."
The club's Academy of Light has had immoderate notable graduates down the years, including erstwhile Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and existent England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
This year, Rigg, inactive not 18 until adjacent month, was named champion young subordinate successful the Championship on with team-mate Jobe Bellingham, inactive lone 19.
The younger member of England and Real Madrid superstar Jude, Bellingham represents the program of bringing different young players to the Stadium of Light to make and embed into the team.
Speakman moved into his relation astatine Sunderland successful 2020 from Birmingham City erstwhile the Wearside nine was inactive successful League One.
He has seen the Black Cats retrieve from 4 seasons successful the 3rd tier to scope this presumption with the Premier League wrong touching distance.
"The travel implicit the past 5 years has been a hard one," helium said. "It hasn't been linear successful presumption of however our advancement has gone.
"We've lived and breathed what we consciousness our strategy should beryllium and immoderate of those truly important principles.
"One of those is the integration of young players. So if we are capable to win, it would beryllium a spectacular moment."
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