Sunderland's Patrick Roberts explains how Manchester United loanee Amad has helped him this season

Roberts, 26, signed a two-year deal with the Black Cats in the summer but wasn’t a regular starter in the first few weeks of the campaign, before Tony Mowbray’s arrival at the Stadium of Light at the end of August.

Under Mowbray Roberts and Amad have linked up excellently at times, after the Sunderland head coach found a way to fit both players into the team.

“He’s a great player,” said Roberts when asked about Amad following Sunderland’s open training session at the Stadium of Light. “I know what it’s like going on loan, sometimes you’re not playing and it’s tough and sometimes you do really well.

“I’ve had them loan spells and I’m at a place now where I’m playing and obviously he’s learning going out on loan and has been brilliant since he’s been here.

“He’s just come in, cracked on with his business and has shown his quality. That’s what you need at a club like this, you need someone to come in and help as much as possible and having a player of that calibre is great. He’s been a great asset this season.

“I think when you play with better players you play better yourself. He’s just one of those players who has a good mentally, is intelligent. You give him the ball and he’ll hold it and play you back in again, or you know what he’s going to do and vice versa.

“There are a few players in the team like that and it’s nice to bring them along like that even when they are on loan for a season.

“You need that squad and depth in the squad and he’s come in and been brilliant.”

Despite Sunderland’s options in the wide and attacking midfield positions, their creative players have found games more challenging following Ross Stewart’s season-ending Achilles injury in January.

Ellis Simms’ return to Everton has also left the side short of striker options, with Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt, who was more effective in a slightly deeper position at Elland Road, often asked to lead the line.

When asked about Stewart’s absence, Roberts replied: “I think just having that presence at the top of the pitch, like if you need to release it like in the Middlesbrough game for us, I kind of knew where he would be.

“These types of games when you have a striker and have got to know a striker and he’s not there, it’s not great and you have to play different. Teams can come and do a job and know what you’re going to do and you have to work hard more.

“I think the last few games we’ve had to do that more, work hard off the ball and just use our character and it’s been a different dynamic.

“He’s been a big miss this season Ross and hopefully he’ll be back in pre-season and can go again.”