Jack Diamond hails Lee Johnson's influence after his first senior Sunderland goal

The 20-year-old was handed a maiden league start for the Black Cats at Lincoln City after impressing Johnson in the midweek win at Oldham Athletic.

And Diamond rewarded the faith of the head coach by earning Sunderland an early penalty before then netting an eye-catching third during the 4-0 win.

Following the triumph at Sincil Bank, Diamond was quick to praise Johnson – and revealed the simple message the Sunderland boss had for him prior to the game.

“He basically just said ‘be the same and do what you do’,” he told safc.com.

“It was nothing different, just to go out there and do what I can do.

"I think he’s very positive and it’s everything you want to see in a coach,” he continued.

"He’s said where we want to be and he's put a big demand on all the players.

"For me, it’s what I want to do and I just want to keep trying to build on what I can do.”

Johnson has also fielded Diamond in a more natural position in recent weeks – something Diamond admits he has enjoyed.

"When I first came back I was playing wing-back, so it was something different,” he admitted.

“But this new gaffer has put me where I usually play and I’ve enjoyed it.

"I’m still growing as a player and trying to learn as much as I can.”

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