The inside story behind ex-Sunderland favourite Duncan Watmore's Middlesbrough move

Watmore hasn’t played a competitive match since March and left former club Sunderland in the summer after seven years on Wearside.

The former England Under-21 international was attracting interest from clubs abroad but decided to join Boro on a short-term deal until mid-January.

We caught with Watmore’s father, former FA Chief Executive Ian Watmore, to hear how the move to Teesside unfolded:

Was there any chance of Duncan staying at Sunderland after his contract expired?

IW: “I think it’s fair to say that both sides felt it was time for a fresh start.

“He was there for seven years, for the first four it was all fabulous and then it was all injury ridden.

“He’d probably got to the point where he needed a fresh challenge and I think Sunderland, having not gone up to the Championship, decided they needed a different type of playing squad to get out of League One.

“I think it was a mutual decision really, no contract was actually offered so he didn’t have to turn anything down.

“I think both parties knew it was time to move on.”

Were there offers straight away or was it a bit of a waiting game?

IW: “It was a both of both.

“The first period was very strange as he was just getting back to fitness and the last thing he did for Sunderland was lay off a late equaliser for Max Power against Fleetwood.

“I think he thought I’ll finish the season well and get Sunderland up to the Championship but then the Covid shutters came down.

“That was a very strange period because nobody was doing anything, Sunderland were furloughing players and trying to negotiate a play-off option.

“All of a sudden that ended and then there was a bit of a gap to formally leave because until that point you can’t do anything.

“Now we’re into the middle of June and then everyone’s on holiday or lockdown and no one really knew what was going on.

“It wasn’t really until July, August that things started to happen again so that was a bit of a waiting period.

“The second waiting period was trying to find the right offer because Duncan had said he would like to go abroad if there wasn’t a good option here, ideally Championship or above.”

Where were the other offers aside from Boro?

IW: “There was a lot of interest but no concrete offers.

“We were weighing up all the options and then Neil Warnock came in. We said that’s 100 per cent the best option if it will work.

“Probably the most concrete alternatives were Australia and India but others from around the world had come in at various times with discussions, European leagues and other Championship clubs as well but I wouldn’t want to say who.

Did Duncan have his own individual training programme while he didn’t have a club?

IW: “One of the good things about being injured a lot is that you know the drill.

“He had a whiteboard at home with his training ritual and went out and did it everyday religiously, a mixture of running and gym and ball work. He did remarkably well to keep himself as fit as he did and that took a lot of mental strength.

“He knows he has this short period in his life where he can do this thing called playing football and he wants to have no regrets at the end of it.

“That’s the way he is and he’s just very strong mentally to keep coming back.”

"I think people need to have realistic expectations that he’s not going to start every game, he’s not had a pre-season in that sense.

“I would have thought the manager will use him if he needs him off the bench for now.”

How has Duncan found it at Middlesbrough?

IW “He’s absolutely loving it.

“He likens the mood there to when Sunderland were doing well under Sam Allardyce. It’s an environment where you want to go every day rather than feel you should.

“The manager is direct but Duncan quite likes that, he doesn’t like the political side of football management and likes people to say it how it is to his face, and you can imagine that’s Neil Warnock.

“He knows some of the players there. He and Chuba Akpom played for England Under-21s a lot and were in the Under-20 Toulon Tournament together.

“Ashley Fletcher was on loan at Sunderland and Paddy McNair did his cruciate ligament at the same time as Duncan at Sunderland. They did all their rehab together with the same brillant physio, David Binningsley who is now at Man United.

“There’s three players there so that helps as well.”

The contract is only until January – what are the chances of that being extended?

IW: “I think they’ve said this is the deal for now, there are about 12 or 13 games in that period.

“I think in that period it will become clear to both parties whether to extend or not.

“If they do then great, if not then he’s back in the game so either way it’s good.

“They just said that’s what we can offer and I said to Duncan that’s fine, it gives you a good run of games to get into it and if you do well they’ll keep you on.

“He said exactly the same thing and said it felt right so let’s do it.”