Tony Mowbray drops a Patrick Roberts hint and lays down challenge for the Sunderland forward

It has been a frustrating season for the attacking midfielder so far, who lost his place in the side not due to his own performance but due to Alex Neil changing formations to accommodate Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart.

Though Amad Diallo can play as a second striker, Mowbray turned to Roberts when Stewart suffered a thigh injury minutes before kick off at Middlesbrough.

A key focus for Mowbray in training since has been ensuring his attacking midfielders step up in Stewart's absence, and Roberts is a key part of that plan.

"I've talked a lot to Pat, Alex Pritchard, Jack Clarke, these talented individuals who play at the top end of the pitch," Mowbray explained.

"They're excellent in terms of their control, their ball manipulation... and we need them to add goals to their repertoire. It's a mindset and the best example is a Raheem Sterling, who goes suddenly to scoring 20-odd goals a season. It's not really about technique, it's about getting between the goalposts, getting in the six-yard box and scoring all different types of goals. One-touch finishes, tap-ins.. we have to get them into the box.

"We've tried to replicate it on the training ground and hopefully we'll see the results come matchday."

Mowbray has been impressed with Roberts' attitude since arriving on Wearside and is eager to make the most of his 'scary' talent: "Listen, they've all got an opportunity [with Stewart out].

"With Pat, you can't deny the talent. Watching him in training the last few days it's scary how good he is, how the ball gets stuck to his left foot.

"He's a wonderful talent and he has to produce, and he knows that. What I've found since coming is what a good guy is.

"My first question to him when I came in was, 'how are you not in this team? what's going on?' It's almost comical with the talent he's got.

"Tosin Adarabioyo, who I had at Blackburn and is now in the Premier League, rang me up and his actual words were, 'Patrick Roberts is magic. What a footballer you have there'. They played together at Manchester City and Tosin said he's one of the best players he's ever seen.

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"He's unbelievably tight with the ball, I played and managed Celtic so I would watch them when he was there, and he was amazing. He had real confidence then and people believed in him. So I need to encourage him, and he needs to produce. He knows that, he's a really good kid and he hasn't sulked, he doesn't have any sense of entitlement.

"I'll start producing a lot of data for them going forward, to use it as a motivational tool for them, how many shots, how many passes into the final third, into the box, all of those kinds of things. I'll compare it to the best in the league and even the best in the world, to give them these targets to shoot at.

"Patrick is wonderful with ball at feet and we need end product, assists and goals."