Dan Neil made his Premier League debut for Sunderland on Sunday afternoon

Trai Hume has stated that Sunderland teammate Dan Neil still has a part to play for the Black Cats this season following the midfielder’s Premier League debut over the weekend.

Neil was introduced as a late substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, registering his very first outing in the top flight in the process. The appearance was his 199th for the first team on Wearside, and his second of the campaign in all competitions following his involvement in last month’s Carabao Cup defeat against Huddersfield Town.

Last season, the academy graduate sported the captain’s armband for Regis Le Bris’ side, missing just two Championship matches across the entirety of Sunderland’s successful promotion bid. The summer arrival of fellow midfielders Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, and Granit Xhaka has massively impacted Neil’s game time of late, however. Nevertheless, Hume is of the opinion that the 23-year-old still has an important role to fulfil over the coming months.

What has Trai Hume said about Sunderland teammate Dan Neil?

Speaking after the final whistle on Sunday, when asked about Neil, Hume said: "Congratulations to him - [I said] whenever I saw him at the final whistle - I'm sure he's really proud of his Premier League debut. Like I said it's a long season, if he keeps training the way he has been and impressing, I've no doubt he'll find his way into the team. It's a long season and there's going to be opportunities."

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What has Regis Le Bris said about Dan Neil?

Reflecting on Neil’s cameo in his post-match press conference, Le Bris said: “It's really positive. And it shows that if you work hard and stay connected with what we are doing, you will have your opportunity. It was the case today so I'm happy for him. Also for Riggy and the players who came off the bench and showed their qualities. For the others, it shows that if they stay connected then they will have the opportunity to help the squad."

Speaking ahead of the game, Le Bris had hinted that Neil could be in his thinking going forward after continuing to apply himself well behind the scenes. He said: “I think Dan trains really well.

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“He's still really involved and committed in the process. Until you play you don't know. For me I'm always positive because I've worked with young players all my life. They can surprise us. If the foundations are good and they're talented and work hard, they just need opportunities.

“The competition is running. In this position, he has the best just in front of him, which is positive for him and the squad, he just has to wait a bit. We need the full squad. We are taking care of everyone because we know at the end of the season every contribution will be really important, especially for this [Africa Cup of Nations] period because we know we will probably lose five, six or seven players.”

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