Sunderland boss gives interesting insight into why he wanted to sign Dan Neil - and where he's improving

After a sluggish first half Sunderland began to turn the tide against Millwall and it started with Alex Pritchard getting room deep in the opposition half. The next two times this would happen the end result was a goal for the home side.

That first move started with Dan Neil, though not with the kind of line-breaking pass we have to come expect. Rather it was a crunching challenge on George Honeyman that got his side going, and after Amad's opener he would make an even bigger contribution as he rose to head a goal bound header off the line.

What's interesting is that none of this is a coincidence: there have never been any doubts about the youngster's technical ability but what we are beginning to see is Tony Mowbray's desire to see him get on the front foot off the ball come through.

There has been inconsistency this season, as would be expected with any youngster stepping up to a new division for the first time, but there are signs too of a more rounded midfielder emerging.

That development will come as no surprise to Mowbray's assistant Mark Venus, who had urged him to sign him while the pair were at Blackburn Rovers.

Mowbray explained: "I was sat in my office at Blackburn talking about players with Veno and he says to me: Dan Neil is the best player in League One and you need to go and sign him. Veno is telling me how good he is on the ball, because that's a big part of how we like to play.

"Now I'm here I can see that quality and I'm getting to know him, understanding where he needs pushing and encouraging and where he needs that repetition of what he has to do to improve.

"He's still got a lot of growth in him. Out of possession I naturally drive players to get close to the opposition, to win balls and try and stop them from playing. I think the sooner you win the ball back the more you can then hurt the opposition.

"I don't like sitting in a passive shape unless you're playing a big team, you can succeed like that but I'm not comfortable with it.

"So I preach to Dan Neil about getting on the front foot and being aggressive, not sitting off the game. Dan is listening to that and implementing that and he's definitely got enough physicality to execute that.

"To be a top midfielder you need to bring both aspects of the game and we're seeing that with Jude Bellingham aren't we, he can drive with the ball, pass, and he presses really well.

"That's what Dan needs to keep bringing together to be a top player."

Neil has made 20 appearances this season and scored his first goal at the level in a 4-2 defeat to Burnley at the Stadium of Light in October.