Dan Neil was a vitally important figure for Sunderland yesterday afternoon as the Black Cats ran out as 1-0 winners at Norwich City. 

Breaking the play and starting attacks with his excellent passing range and reading of the game, the young midfielder impressed once more in the middle of the park. 

The 21-year-old has played a part in all but one of Sunderland's league fixtures this season, starting 32 of their 36 second-tier matches thus far. 

Predicting an even brighter future for the midfielder after his impressive showing against the Canaries, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray shared his prediction regarding Neil whilst in conversation with Chronicle Live, and said: "I genuinely think that Dan Neil is on a journey that will take him to the Premier League, and hopefully with this club.

"If it's not this club, and we can't get there fast enough, I think the Premier League will phone up about him. He's an amazing human being who wants to be a footballer and who listens to everything you tell him and wants to get better.

"He sits and watches his clips, what he did well and what he didn't do well. He's a kid on a journey really, and it is going to be tough to stop him.

"My job, our job as coaching staff, is to help him and make him understand that he has to have both aspects to his game. The best midfielders in my mind are the ones who can do both - they have some steel and also look silky when they have the ball and pick lovely passes, but then when the ball breaks they can smash in a tackle and come out with the ball.

"Dan is learning those aspects, he's still a very young man and somewhere down the line he will become a really good footballer."

The verdict 

Neil is an exciting young talent who undoubtedly has the potential to ply his trade in the Premier League in the not-so-distant future. 

As Mowbray alludes to, Sunderland fans, as well as himself, will be hoping that the plays top-flight football with the Black Cats as they continue on their upward trajectory. 

Not only does he possess an excellent technical ability and awareness, but his desire and grit out of possession is also at an excitingly high level and makes future Premier League football near a certainty. 

Still just 21 years of age, Neil has an incredibly high ceiling and is at a club where he will be able to continue to shine.