STEVE Bruce has indicated a willingness to give Sunderland’s young homegrown stars a chance during the club’s pre-season campaign – after being handed glowing references about one of the Black Cats’ teenage defensive prodigies.

Bruce is looking to add experienced heads with Premier League pedigree, with Manchester City captain Richard Dunne heading to the North East if the club agree to his request for a long-term contract.

Dunne is understood to be looking for a four or five-year contract on similar terms to the contract he is on at Eastlands – likely to take him to the end of his career.

Tottenham striker Darren Bent also looks to be Wearside-bound over the next fortnight, along with Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zakora.

But Bruce’s desire to recruit experience to supplement the squad which achieved Premier League safety last season does not mean that he will turn his back on the club’s crop of young stars.

In particular, the Sunderland boss is understood to be keen to see more of England Under-16 captain Louis Laing, the teenage defender who has been the talk of North East football insiders.

Born in Newcastle, Laing regularly trained with the first team during Ricky Sbragia’s brief tenure as manager and Bruce has been urged to take a close look at the defender during the club’s pres- season campaign.

The 15-year-old – who turns 16 in September and is starting the first year of his scholarship – is a tall, strong and pacey central defender.

Laing has been earmarked for big things in the England set-up, and is seen as one of the "crown jewels" of the Sunderland Academy. But Bruce

is also keen to see more of winger Jordan Henderson, who excelled while on loan at Coventry City last season, and 18-year-old Irish midfielder Conor Hourihane before deciding which of his young players should be allowed to leave on loan.

Bruce has already fielded calls from Hartlepool boss Chris Turner and Darlington chief Colin Todd about the availability of the young professionals that helped Sunderland win the Premier League reserve title last season – and Roy Keane has been credited with an interest in taking Hourihane to Ipswich.

Bruce is likely to sanction loan spells for many of his rising stars – but not before seeing what they can do when pre-season begins in the second week of July.

The new Sunderland boss (pictured far right) is keen to give all of his squad a "fresh start" after the trauma of last season and while additions are needed, no one will be forced out of the door until pre-season is well underway.

That does not mean that Bruce will not have added to the squad by then, though. He said yesterday he expects to have at least one new player on board by the time Sunderland start their pre- season campaign on July 16.

"I would hope to have some new faces in by the time of the opening friendly, or at least by the time we go to the Amsterdam Tournament," he told the club’s official website yesterday.

"I’m on the phone all of the time and am in constant touch with [chairman] Niall [Quinn] and [chief executive] Steve Walton.

"Hopefully we will have some new faces around at the start, and that would be terrific."

Wigan pair Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble have also been linked with Sunderland – but the Latics are intent on playing hardball on the pair.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has already slapped a ‘not for sale’ sign on Cattermole, and sources in the North West have suggested Bramble will not be sold either, unless Sunderland make a "big offer".