Tony Mowbray: Sunderland the perfect place for 'special footballer' Amad Diallo

Sunderland are not expecting Manchester United to recall Amad Diallo this month.

Tony Mowbray has hailed Amad Diallo as a ‘special footballer’ after it emerged Manchester United are unlikely to recall him this month.

Amad has had a brilliant impact at Sunderland, scoring six goals and being a constant creative force in the Black Cats’ attack.

Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has publicly stated he ‘does not want to stop the progress’ Amad has made this season, and Mowbray will be more than happy to keep him at Sunderland until the summer.

“[Amad] is a special footballer, I think,” Mowbray said. “The test for him and for his parent club, of course, is: ‘Is he of the required level to try and win a Champions League and Premier League?’

“That's what they have to decide. But for us he is an amazing player. We're delighted he's with us. Hopefully, he can continue for the rest of the season and do exceptionally well.

Ten Hag says he has ‘considered’ recalling Amad given his Sunderland form but does not believe he is quite at the level yet where he would come back and impact Man Utd.

That’s a perspective Mowbray can appreciate, as there is no room for mistakes at a club like Man Utd.

“Ten Hag has to make those calls on his footballers,” he said. ”The balance is always between the achievements of the club [and the individual] – so, Manchester United have to be trying to win Premier League titles and competing in the Champions League, and it's not about giving a young guy an opportunity to show how good he can be. They have to produce, they have to do it.

“Man United have to win. With Sunderland coming out of League One, we can try and grow the club, we don't have to win the division this year. If we can compete in the top half, we're doing extremely well, and he's helping us do that.”

---

Read more Sunderland coverage

• Kyril Louis-Dreyfus: 'I’ve spent hours learning about Sunderland's history
• Sunderland showing 'no interest' in bringing Nathan Broadhead back to the club
• Is the current Sunderland team the club's best footballing side in decades?
• Did we all overrate Alex Neil at Sunderland?
• How to watch Shrewsbury v Sunderland in the FA Cup
• Does Ellis Simms Everton appearance now mean ONLY Sunderland could sign him?