The Sunderland U23 player who has seriously impressed Phil Parkinson and could now be in Charlton Athletic contention

On the left was Jack Diamond, a lean teenager making a rare senior appearance for Sunderland in the EFL Trophy.

And on the right was Diamond again, this time celebrating a crucial goal at Wembley and looking every bit a senior player.

The juxtaposition was telling. In the more recent image, the academy graduate looked fitter and bulkier – every bit a player with a substantial number of senior appearances under his belt.

It’s exactly what his loan spell to Harrogate Town was designed to provide and the results have been telling.

Diamond, although yet to get the taste of League One action he is surely craving, has caught the eye of Phil Parkinson when the opportunity has presented itself.

And after another impressive performance for the Black Cats’ second string against Leeds United earlier this week, supporters are excited to see what the future may hold for the 20-year-old.

So what does come next for Diamond, and where does he stand at the Stadium of Light?

We take a look at what has come before, and what may yet be coming for Diamond:

Pre-season promise

While it was Dan Neil who drew most of the plaudits in pre-season, Diamond was equally worthy of praise for his performances.

It was he who, at Gateshead, helped drive Sunderland forward against a tiring defence.

His delivery for Will Grigg’s goal was inch-perfect and he constantly looked a threat on the right flank.

It’s also worth considering that for much of pre-season, Diamond was playing an unfamiliar role. He spent much of his time in the under-23 set-up and at Harrogate Town playing either as a traditional winger or as a central forward.

But Parkinson was keen to see the 20-year-old play as a right-wing back. Physically he knew he would be able to handle the role, but the question was over whether he had the defensive discipline to be a long-term option in that position.

The signs thus far, and especially during pre-season, have been positive on that front.

Diamond has shown a great willingness to adapt to this new position and it is in this role where his future may lie.

Proven options preferred

It’s that for reason that it is perhaps little surprise that we are yet to see Diamond in the first-team fold.

If Parkinson sees his long-term future in that wing-back position, then the youngster will have to displace Luke O’Nien – one of the club’s more consistent performers over the last 12 months.

That will be no easy task. Indeed, there will have been few who expected Diamond to start the season as a first-choice option.

But there was a genuine disappointment that both he and Neil failed to make the bench for the visit of Bristol Rovers given their form in pre-season, and the fact that Parkinson had talked up the involvement of youngsters in the build-up to the League One opener.

Diamond travelled with the squad to Oxford – along with fellow youngster Morgan Feeney – but failed to make the bench.

It was in the under-23 side, therefore, that the forward would have to make his mark.

An impression made

And that he did.

Despite defeat against Burnley, Diamond caught the eye for Sunderland – winning and scoring a penalty while looking like the Black Cats’ best attacking outlet throughout.

It was a performance that drew praise from Parkinson himself.

"Jack Diamond was excellent, he really was,” said the Sunderland boss.

“It was a shame we didn’t get the result, but my goodness Burnley knew they’d been in a game.

“They were on the back foot in the second half, we played some great football and there were good signs for the group.”

Diamond’s performance came at an opportune moment, given that a spot among the first-team bench had opened-up owing to George Dobson’s suspension and Max Power’s injury.

And that display in Lancashire convinced Parkinson that Diamond was worthy of a place among the substitutes.

He didn’t enter the fray, but is now firmly knocking on the door.

And those knocks will have ramped-up in volume after Diamond’s showing against Leeds United under-23s on Monday afternoon.

Parkinson was again an interested spectator and will have taken great encouragement from how the 20-year-old fared against the Whites.

Not only was he Sunderland’s major threat in the final third – once again winning and converting a penalty in a fine display – but he coped well with the energetic and attack-minded Leif Davies on Leeds’ left-flank.

So what comes next?

The academy graduate will now be firmly in Parkinson’s thoughts ahead of the trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

His last two under-23 performances have served to demonstrate the different dimension he could add to Sunderland’s attacking outlook, but it’s all about picking the right moment.

Diamond is an attack-minded player, so it’s more likely that we will see him when Sunderland are chasing a game as opposed to looking to protect a slender lead – as they were against Peterborough on Saturday.

Whether that opportunity comes at Charlton remains to be seen, but it would be a surprise if Diamond was not part of the travelling party even if he does not make the bench.

But what’s clear is that an opportunity will come for the youngster.

He’s earned the trust of Parkinson and has demonstrated his ability to compete at this level – now it’s about just waiting for that opportunity to shine on a first-team stage.

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