'Absolutely brilliant': Sunderland midfielder praises returning star as key advantage this season identified

After two years of being impressed by his performances for Preston North End, Dan Neil is thrilled to have Alan Browne as his team mate in midfield.

Browne made a hugely assured competitive debut as Sunderland got their Championship campaign off to a winning start at Cardiff City and Neil believes the midfielder has already shown what we can bring to the team.

"Alan’s got an unbelievable engine, unbelievable legs," Neil said.

"We knew that from when we played Preston previously. Every time we’ve come up against him, we’ve talked about the unbelievable engine he has. He’s a bit more of an experienced head in there as well, which helps us because me and Jobe are still young. We’ve got experience for our age, but Browney has been around for a long time. He’s a good leader on the pitch, and he’s got quality in possession as well. He did a few driving runs, and I thought him, Trai and Pat linked up really well on that right-hand side. I’m sure you’ll see more of that as the season goes on."

The Cardiff win also brought a notable performance from Dennis Cirkin on his return to competitive football, with the full back assisting Luke O'Nien's opener and producing a superb all-round contribution. Neil believes the squad being in a better place fitness wise this season could be crucial.

“I thought Dennis was absolutely brilliant, considering the amount of time he was out for last year," Neil said.

"To come into a tough game, against tough opposition, I thought he was absolutely excellent. He brings that different dimension from a full-back. Trai is very much touch, pass move, whereas Dennis will drive with the ball and drive aggressively. He’s also really good in the air, as you’ve seen. He scored a good number of goals towards the back end of the season two years ago, and that’s a weapon that we need to utilise. I thought he was excellent.

“I think we were dealt a tough hand towards the back end of last year," Neil added.

"Jack Clarke, who was our main goal threat, got injured, Pat Roberts was in and out of the team all year with injuries, Dennis and Aji were in and out of the team all year with injuries, Dan Ballard and Luke [O’Nien] got suspended at similar times. We just couldn’t manage to pick up any rhythm or form in the second half of the season. It was really tough, and I can understand the doom and gloom that was there towards the end of last season. It was kind of the same for us as well because we weren’t picking up results and we were falling further and further away from where we wanted to be. But the core of the squad has always been there. We know the talent that there is within the group, and this is most of the lads’ third year in the Championship. We’ve got two years of experience now, and I think everyone has grown into the league. We know what to expect from the league now. Obviously, we know the Championship can be unpredictable, but we have experienced a lot now and I think that’s really helped us. Maybe last year will turn out to have been a blessing in disguise. Maybe we wouldn’t have won that game last season, but I think the togetherness we showed just shows that we’ve learned from last year in these types of games."