The secrets of Lee Cattermole's goalscoring form revealed and what the future could hold for Sunderland man

Jack Ross says that Lee Cattermole's goalscoring form is no fluke, and expects the 30-year-old to add to his tally this season.

Cattermole’s strike against Coventry City was his third of the campaign, meaning this is already his best ever season for goals.

Ross, however, believes it is an aspect of his game that supporters could see more of this year.

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Ross said: “It is maybe just reflective of how he feels about himself and how he is playing at the moment.

“You don’t get into those areas without a desire, I’ve previously mentioned his desire to do well for the club,” he said.

“We did some stuff on Thursday around that type of finish, he was split half and half doing that with the defensive work - obviously it paid off for him!

“He has quality, technically he has quality so when he gets in that area then you do fancy him and he fancies himself in that area now - long may it continue.

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“Naturally, he will always be the type of player he has been but he recognises he still has an energy to bring to the game and the balance with other players at times is encouraging him to do that.

“I can’t comment properly about how he has played in a Sunderland side before but maybe there is that opportunity to get forward more than there has been previously.

“When he is in those areas, you can see his ability to finish.”

Cattermole was one of Sunderland’s best performers on an ultimately frustrating afternoon at the Ricoh Arena.

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He was given a big ovation from the travelling support at full-time after establishing himself as a vital player for Ross.

His performance so caught the eye of onlookers that the Black Cats boss was even asked if he saw a future manager in Cattermole.

The Black Cats boss was again effusive in his praise.

Ross said: “There are a lot of players in that dressing room with that [commitment]; I have spoken before about George Honeyman and his commitment to every single game and some of the players we have bought in, the likes of Jack Baldwin.

“A lot of them can show it in different ways, some can be more vocal than others, some can lead by example.

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“Lee is vocal in the dressing room, he makes demands of people, he cares an awful lot about football, that is the one thing for me that has been interesting to see.

“To work with players first hand you get a feel for their passion for the game. He loves playing and he wants to play and wants to do well, sometimes it manifests itself in different ways.

“He has that drive and it pulls other players along.

“I don’t know [whether the’s a future manager], that is something only Lee can answer,” Ross added.

“He is interested in the game and I’m sure he feels he has a lot of years ahead of him, he wants to speak to you about the game and take information on.

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“If you speak to him about previous managers, he enjoyed the ones who taught him, if you like, or made the game quite clear for him.

“It is something that maybe he has got, he has natural attributes that would lean him to that side of the game but it depends how he feels about it and dealing with the other stuff.”

Cattermole will be suspended for the clash against Peterborough United on Tuesday night after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.