ELLIS Taylor is currently living out the boyhood dream of every Sunderland fan and he plans on making the most of his spell in the first-team. 

18-year-old Taylor signed his first professional deal in the summer committing to the club on a three-year contract. 

He's been with the first-team since the beginning of the summer and caught the eye coming on as a second half substitute in the friendly draw against Spennymoor Town. Young Taylor jinked in from the right-hand side and fired high into the net to draw the sides level at 2-2 at the Brewey Field.

Taylor started Tuesday night's goalless draw against Tranmere Rovers where manager Lee Johnson was full of praise for his young guns. 

"Delighted to be out there. Delighted to be on the pitch." Taylor told the club website. 

"I’ve been training the gaffer has given me a chance and I feel like I’ve done well and hopefully there’s more minutes to come in the future.

"To be in and around the lads like some of the players Geads (Aiden McGeady), (Lynden) Gooch, Bails (Bailey Wright) who have been here a long time. It’s just what you dream of. I’ve been at the club for so long and it’s unbelievable. Enjoying it.

"I’ve had a bit of a hard time when I was younger, late development, things like that but to be where I am now I just need to keep on going. I’m absolutely buzzing like.

"I’ve probably changed a little bit as a player. Just being in and around training everyday, the intensity is a lot harder. People telling you obviously when you do things bad and it’s good. It helps you out a lot and moving the ball quicker so it’s making me a lot better as a player."

With Taylor impressing in the off season, the 18-year-old might end up doing Johnson a favour by saving him some money in the transfer window. 

The Black Cats boss has maintained that Sunderland are in desperate need of strengthening the squad before the end of the transfer window but young Ellis is hoping to force his way into the manager's thinking, by playing in tommorrow's friendly against Hull City. 

"Yeah I’d love to be involved. To get any minutes on the pitch in front of the fans at the Stadium of Light would be a massive dream for me so hopefully that can happen and keeping working hard this week to see if I can get in the team.

"(I need to) just to keep working hard. Keep playing well and hopefully keep knocking on the gaffer’s door to see if he’ll put me in and give me minutes so all I can do is keep doing what I’m doing and playing well."