Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil says he was never really interested in leaving the club during the January transfer window.

Having come up through the Black Cats' academy system, Neil enjoyed something of a breakthrough campaign last season.

The 20-year-old scored three goals and provided seven assists in 39 League One games for Sunderland, as they sealed promotion back to the Championship via the play-offs.

That is something that quickly saw speculation around the midfielder's future emerge, with reports in January claiming that the likes of Aston Villa and Burnley were interested in signing him.

Now however, it seems that the prospect of a move away from the Stadium of Light for the second half of last season, was never on Neil's mind.

Speaking about those claims of interest in him from top-flight clubs, Neil told The Chronicle"When I came in full time as a 16-year-old, we were in League One at the time and I was determined to get into the first team because I wanted to be part of the squad that got us promoted.

"So when there was rumours I wasn’t really interested because my only goal was to do everything I can personally to help the team to get this club promoted back to the Championship. And now the goal is to do as well as we can in the Championship and see where that takes us."

As things stand, there are still three years remaining on Neil's contract with Sunderland, securing his future at the club until the end of the 2024/25 season.

The Verdict

This is something that plenty of Sunderland fans will surely be delighted to see.

You could understand it if Neil had been interested in those links with a move elsewhere, given most players would love the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

These comments however, do seem to highlight his commitment to the club, which be appreciated when you consider the opportunity they have already given the midfielder in first-team football.

Having now secured promotion, the Black Cats will be in an even stronger position to see off any interest in Neil, and with plenty of time remaining on his contract, he could be a big asset to the club for years to come.