Sunderland and Manchester United ace Amad Diallo compared to Celtic and Ireland legend

The Manchester United loanee now has four goals in six games as he begins to emerge as one of the key players in Tony Mowbray's side.

And he has now been compared to former Sunderland favourite, Aiden McGeady.

Former Sunderland defender Danny Collins said: “He is a joy to watch. He is looking for me like Aiden McGeady, isn’t he?

“When Aiden was in his confident mood he was getting on the ball out wide and you were on the edge of your seat thinking, “What is going to happen here now?” Same with Amad for me.

“How old is he again? He’s probably 20 or 21, but he has matured beyond his years in terms of mentality. Listen, he went to Manchester United for 30-odd million quid and he has come here now.

“I am not saying he has come here as if he has to prove himself, because you can see there is a good player in there, but he has come here and he knows he is playing for a big club, certainly at this level. For me, it is like he wants to be the star of the show playing in an arena like this.

“Give me the ball and let me show you what I have got in the bag. Look at the tools I have and what I can produce and he is doing week in and week out for us,” the former Sunderland defender told Sunderland TV.

And what pleased Mowbray most about Amad's contribution against Millwall was that for once, his goal wasn't particularly spectacular.

"I was just pleased he was at the back post because, a few months ago, I think he might have been stood on the touchline 30 yards from the goal.

"Yet there he was, tapping it in. Raheem Sterling goes to work with Guardiola, and I’m certainly not comparing myself to him, but a different coach telling players different things can make a difference. Sterling scored six or seven goals a season, then all of a sudden he’s getting 25 to 30, not because he’d become a much better player, but because he’d been given advice on where he should be.

"It’s just trying to help them really. I can’t help Amad Diallo do stepovers, I was a big centre-half who headed it. I can’t teach him anything about the ball, but I can tell him, ‘When the ball’s here, you have to be there mate. You have to threaten’.

"He’s still learning and working on it, but he’s so clever and bright. Even though the language is still half an issue for us, he understands. He nods, he knows and then he does it."

Sunderland beat Millwall at the weekend on their return to Championship action.

They are next in action on Monday evening at the Stadium of Light when West Bromwich Albion visit Wearside in the Championship.

Mowbray will be aiming to build on the victories over Birmingham City and Millwall either side of the break.