Dan Neil looks set to stay at Sunderland and fight for his place in the Premier League

With two significant updates in 24 hours, it may be that one of the biggest talking points of Sunderland's pre-season has been put to bed. Or at least for the time being.

Sunderland's major midfield recruitment drive, which culminated in the still hard-to-believe signing of Granit Xhaka, had raised doubts about Dan Neil's place both in the team and therefore in the squad at large. That Neil had almost exclusively operated in the more inexperienced of Régis Le Bris's two XIs across pre-season only added fuel to the fire.

After Sunday's defeat to Rayo Vallecano, a game in which Neil had actually looked sharp despite the final scoreline, Le Bris was asked about the midfielder and said he was 'absolutely' part of his plans for the upcoming campaign. Not only that, the head coach was genuinely effusive about what the presence of Xhaka in the squad could do for Neil. Le Bris explained how much Neil could learn and how Xhaka's experience and example could help both shorten and ease the adjustment period to Premier League football. And while it now seems fairly clear that Neil will not be in the starting XI when West Ham United, Le Bris stressed that their would be opportunities for the 23-year-old this season. While Le Bris has always made clear his admiration for Neil this summer, he had never until this point been so unequivocal about his future. This was a noticeable shift in tone.

A day later, The Telegraph reported that Neil had resolved to stay at the club and fight for his place, rebuffing interest from elsewhere in the Premier League and also from La Liga.

It's a boost for Sunderland on the eve of the new campaign for many reasons.

For one, albeit there is rarely room for sentiment in football, it will be an emotional moment when Neil realises his dream of representing his boyhood club in the Premier League for the first time. Neil was one of many academy players to field interest from other clubs when the club dropped into League One and for a time got stuck there, but was one of the few to opt to stay. He made it his goal to be part of the team that took Sunderland back where they belonged and though there were moments along the way where it might have seemed like something of a pipe dream, at Wembley he was able to fulfil that pledge. As one of the few to play a part in both promotions, Neil has a unique place in Sunderland history.

For footballing reasons, it's surely also the right decision for both parties. The intensity of the Premier League will require players to come off the bench and make an impact and Neil's versatility in midfield means he'll have a big part to play in the opening weeks of the season. And then if there is a dip in form or an injury or a suspension, Sunderland will know they have a player very familiar with the system and the philosophy ready to step up. There are almost guaranteed to be opportunities to start in December, when both Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra go to the African Cup of Nations. Neil also has a massive part to play off the pitch. Sunderland's unity and team spirit was a major part of their success last season and amid heavy turnover in the squad more generally, having a leader who understands the club so well is crucial.

Neil's longer-term future is clearly far from resolved, with Le Bris also confirming after the Rayo Vallecano defeat there was at the moment no progress on an new contract. Neil has now entered the final year of his deal and if a bid was to materialise, Sunderland would in reality be forced to consider it. Even with the Premier League riches they are determined to be financially prudent, and a sale would represent pure profit from a PSR perspective. It appears at the moment that Neil would be minded not to pursue a move, but only time will tell on that front.

Even so, the shorter-term future looks a little more certain than it did even a week ago and it represents a significant boost ahead of the opening weekend. Neil will know he has a fight on his hands but he has the quality to seize his chance whenever it does come.

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