There's little doubt that the current Sunderland squad is as impressive as any in League One, but that's not a good thing for everyone at the club.

Whilst it might not be as laden with talent as it was a couple of years ago, for the level of football they're at they have some truly wonderful players. Setting aside big money buys such as Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke, they're packed with good players.

There are exciting academy graduates such as Lynden Gooch and George Honeyman. They're both highly beneficial additions to the first team, with the grounded Honeyman one lad likely to keep pace with any climb back up through the divisions.

Then there are players such as Lee Cattermole and Aiden McGeady, players who have performed at a higher level and have that extra experience to offer the side. Even Luke O'Nien, a former Wycombe Wanderers midfielder, has had a big part to play.

Max Power had a relatively tough start to his spell on Wearside, but he's settled into a rhythm there too. It all means a lot of competition for places and 26-year-old Dylan McGeouch knows that all too well.

He joined the club in the summer from Hibernian, a Scotland international who had previously been on the books at Celtic. Whilst teammate John McGinn went to Villa, McGeouch was joining a club arguably as big in stature, if not current status. He must have joined Jack Ross believing he'd get regular game time and a chance to remain involved with the Tartan Army.

That competition for places and a constant battle for a first team spot hasn't favoured McGeouch. He has started just 11 of their matches this season, less than a third. From being an established international, he's become a fringe player in the English third tier.

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That has to be a worry to him. At 26 he was looking to make the move that helped him kick on, both domestically and internationally, but his time on the field hasn't been impressive. He's not been bad, but he's not stood out either.

He's now locked in a losing battle for a place in the side and whilst competition for places is good for the team, the fans and the manager, it is not something that McGeouch is finding beneficial.

Without regular game time, his international dreams fade and whilst the Black Cats are doing well, he's unlikely to break into the side on a regular basis.

It might be that he's secretly regretting making the move to Sunderland, because if he's left behind now what will it be like if they go up?