What Dan Neil told Sunderland teammate Niall Huggins after devastating injury setback against Coventry

Dan Neil says Sunderland's squad have to support Niall Huggins after the defender suffered a serious knee injury at the end of last year.

Huggins was stretchered off during the Black Cats' 3-0 defeat against Coventry at the Stadium of Light just before Christmas and is set to miss the rest of this season after undergoing surgery.

The 23-year-old only returned to action over the summer, when he came back early for pre-season, after two years of injury setbacks. He then became a regular starter for Sunderland, racking up 19 Championship appearances this season, while earning an international call-up for Wales in November.

"I text him on the night time after the injury and that’s a real bitter pill to swallow," said Neil when asked about Huggins. "I think last year he was frustrated, we were frustrated because we wanted him back in the squad and he was picking up niggles here, there and everywhere.

"I thought the last two or three months where he has been playing week in, week out he’s probably been up there as one of our best players. I thought he brought a new dimension to the squad in that full-back area and thought he had been absolutely brilliant.

"As a squad we are really gutted for him. We just have to get around him now and make sure he comes back. I said 'listen, you’ve done it before, the stages of rehab and have come back better. You are going to come back better this time."