Tony Mowbray explains where Sunderland striker Hemir needs to improve with increased competition up front

Tony Mowbray says summer signing Hemir has to learn about his responsibilities out of possession as he continues to develop his game at Sunderland.

The 20-year-old striker joined the Black Cats from Benfica, where he played for the B team and youth sides, this summer and scored in pre-season friendlies against South Shields, New Mexico United and Real Mallorca.

Hemir then started Sunderland’s opening Championship fixture against Ipswich at the Stadium of Light but has subsequently been taken out of the team, making six more senior appearances from the bench.

Sunderland have also given the forward game time for the under-21s side, with Hemir one of several first-team players to feature as the young Black Cats beat Derby Under-21s on Monday.

When asked about Hemir and how the club are managing the striker, Mowbray told the Echo: “Against Ipswich we knew what he needed to do. There had been a lot of talk last season about no strikers and yet he went away in pre-season to America and scored a good few goals and did pretty well.

“I think the level in America, we were pretty dominant in all them games and he was just in the six-yard box and we were delivering balls and he was scoring. The Championship is not really like that.

“We have to be good out of possession to have a strategy to try and win the ball back. He needs to learn all of that sort of stuff being out of possession and how hard it is, where he needs to be and what lines he needs to cut off. When does he press and when does he sit? It’s all part of the learning curve for him really.”

Hemir also has more competition up front compared to when the season kicked off, with Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow starting Sunderland’s last three Championship fixtures.

Deadline-day signing Nazariy Rusyn also made his Black Cats debut off the bench during Sunday’s fixture against Cardiff, and impressed during the under-21s match against Derby.

Mowbray will now weigh up whether the Ukrainian is ready to make his first Sunderland start when The Black Cats travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.