BEN ALNWICK feels six years of hard work on the training field, trying to complete a transformation from striker to goalkeeper, has finally paid off for him at Sunderland.

Alnwick's rise up the ranks at the Stadium of Light was completed on Saturday when he made his Premiership debut at the tender age of 18 - just six years after playing centre-forward for his local youth club.

Since his dramatic change of position the teenager has never looked back and, after being picked up by a Sunderland scout, he has gone on to become one of the hottest goalkeeping talents in Britain.

Alnwick looks back on his younger days as an outfield player for Prudhoe Youth Club with great affection, particularly as he knows that is where his development into top-flight shot-stopper started.

And, after making his Premiership bow at Arsenal on Saturday, the academy product also insists his rapid growth into a first-team star owes a lot to the coaches he has worked with.

As well as spending the majority of his time at Sunderland working under goalkeeper coach Tim Carter, he has also worked with former England keepers Tim Flowers and Ray Clemence while on duty with the national team's youth set-up.

"I was always a striker when I was ten. But I was the fat kid and they put me in goal," he said. "I was always swapping outfield and in goal. After 12, I was always in goal and that's how I got picked up by Sunderland. I'm grateful for that.

"Tim Carter has been my goalkeeper coach since I started. I have been with him since I was 13. Training with the likes of Tommy Myhre, Mart Poom and Kelvin Davis has also helped.

"They are all great keepers and have great attitudes. I have taken bits from all of them. I suppose Kelvin, being English, has helped even more because we are enjoying training together."

Alwnick's call-up by Mick McCarthy to the Sunderland starting line-up has stemmed from the misfortune of friend and colleague Davis. Davis was dropped at Highbury on Saturday after being blamed for at least one of the goals in the calamitous 4-1 defeat to Portsmouth a week earlier.

But Alnwick, who felt for Davis, tried to make sure his team-mate's poor luck did not reflect in his own play.

"There was added pressure on me going there because of what had gone on with Kelvin," said Alnwick.

"I put pressure on myself but I don't think there is that much on me as a young player. I wanted to impress and I think I did.

"We are great friends and we have friendly banter. We do have good crack.

"He has also wished me well since Saturday. He is a good professional. I'm right behind him when he's playing too."

Now, after enjoying his first taste of life in the English top-flight, Alwnick is in no mood to relinquish his place in the team without a fight.

And the England Under-19s No 1, who will take on Switzerland next Wednesday, is hoping to be retained in the starting line-up for the visit of fourth-from-bottom Aston Villa a week on Saturday.

"The gaffer has said since I was 16 that he has confidence in me making the first team.

"I realise that and I want to do well," he said.

"It gives me great confidence to think I'm playing in the Premier League at 18-years-old and I want to keep that up.

"Even though I'm only a young lad I feel I have done enough to get in the team.

"I would hope I have and I would think the manager will talk to myself and Kelvin. Hopefully I will get another chance."

Meanwhile, Kevin Kyle has been told he is on track to make his return to the Sunderland team in the new year.

Kyle has not played in 15 months but a date with surgeon Dr Marc Phillips has revealed he is making good progress after an August operation on his hip problem

The Scot said: "He said everything was perfect. He had a look at me and told me I was ahead of schedule. He told me to push on and go for it."