Tony Mowbray compares Sunderland 'amazing talent' to Liverpool star
Tony Mowbray has likened the in-form Amad Diallo to Liverpool ace Harvey Elliott, who he coached for a year at Blackburn.
Amad, who is on loan from Manchester United, has been a star performer for Sunderland in their last three games, scoring two goals and putting in a man-of-the-match performance against Luton.
Mowbray initially seemed unsure of Amad when he took charge in September, saying he lacked end-product and needed to shoot more often to become truly effective.
Now, though, he seems to have been completely won over by the 20-year-old.
“At Blackburn Rovers, we had Harvey Elliott for a whole season (2020-21) and sometimes they have to make the step up,’ said the Sunderland boss.
“Amad has got amazing talent like Harvey Elliott had amazing talent.
“Whether he makes the jump to play for Manchester United, where they have to win every game, we’ll have to see what the future holds. But I’m really pleased that he’s with us.”
Amad has struggled to establish himself with limited opportunities at Man Utd following a mega-money move from Atalanta in January 2021.
Mowbray, though, says it is easy to see why the Red Devils chose to invest in the Ivorian.
“We can see on the training pitch that he’s got amazing talent. You can see why Manchester United might’ve paid an incredible amount of money for him.
“The ball sticks to his foot, he’s fast and he knows where the net is. He just has to play football and enjoy it.
“[Against Luton] his physical data, he was top in every aspect from distance covered to number of high-speed sprints, he was amazingly athletic as well as showing his talent.
“That bodes well for us and also accelerates him in my mind in terms of him being a starting player for us, beyond a young lad who I can bring off the bench.”