Kevin Phillips says that on-loan Sunderland defender Declan John must be patient as he waits for his chance to prove himself in Phil Parkinson's side.

John joined Sunderland from Championship side Swansea City on loan for the rest of the season late in the January transfer window, but has yet to make a single appearance for the club.

Denver Hume has instead been employed in John's position on the left of Sunderland's defence in recent weeks, with Parkinson's side currently enjoying a run of just one defeat in their last 15 league games, something Phillips feels has contributed to John's lack of game time so far.

Speaking to Football Insider about John's recent struggles, Phillips - who scored 134 goals in 235 appearances for Sunderland between 2000 and 2006 - said: "Unfortunately, sometimes in your career, you go to a team and you think because you have come from another club and in this case a Championship club, you think you are going to start every week.

“From the time he came the club have had an upturn in fortune so it is just about patience really."

Indeed, Phillips believes there are even examples within Sunderland's current side of how opportunities could arise for John, who he believes has done nothing wrong since his arrival at the club, as he added: “We have seen with Bailey-Wright getting injured and Ozturk coming in and doing a job that things can happen quickly, so the kid has to be ready.

“There is nothing to read into, it is just unfortunate that he has come to a team doing very well at the moment.”  

Following that recent run of form, Sunderland are now fourth in the League One table, three points adrift of the automatic promotion places with 11 games of the season remaining, starting with a trip to second-placed Coventry City on Sunday afternoon.

The Verdict

I do think Phillips has a strong point here.

With Sunderland looking so strong in the race for promotion at the minute, it will be hard for Parkinson to justify any changes he makes to his side that are not enforced.

Indeed, if Parkinson does make such an alteration, and that ultimately leads to an error that costs them either in a game or the season as a whole, there will then be questions asked of him as manager about his decision to make said change.

Even so, with the ability that John does have, you imagine that he will still be more than capable of making a positive impact for the Black Cats if and when he is brought into the side.