Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has insisted that Denver Hume deserved to stay in the starting XI against Gillingham.

The 21-year-old youngster has been in impressive form of late and has had the ability to put in a number of dangerous crosses when going forward.

He's kept Declan John out of the starting side, and showed why with his delivery on Saturday when he setup Kyle Lafferty who finished well for Sunderland.

John, on the other hand, hasn't yet made a match day squad for the Black Cats since joining on deadline day although there are still opportunities ahead of the end of the season.

Parkinson has insisted that Hume has earned his right to stay in the side at wing-back, and that his crosses have been 'top drawer'.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, Parkinson said: "In recent games, he has put crosses into the box that have been top drawer and we haven't found the finish for them. I think he deserved to stay in the team."

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The Verdict

Parkinson is spot on, and although sometimes he can vulnerable in a defensive aspect, he has had a brilliant time in terms of crossing the ball and getting it into good areas.

It's so important for a side like Sunderland to make sure that they give their strikers the adequate service in order to stake a claim for promotion to the Championship.

It is set to be an interesting time over the next few weeks and there will be many eyes waiting to see whether the side can challenge for automatic promotion or have to settle for a place in the top six.

Parkinson will have big decisions to make over the next couple of games, and it will be intriguing to see if he sticks with Hume.