Tony Mowbray: 'Not my role to put a gun to Ross Stewart's head and make him sign a contract'

Boss says securing Ross Stewart's long-term future is not his job.

Tony Mowbray says he can’t affect the Ross Stewart transfer speculation but he’s not surprised to see him linked with other clubs.

Latest reports in the Northern Echo claim Middlesbrough plan to push hard to sign Stewart in January, and he has also been linked with Rangers, Blackburn and Olympiakos.

That speculation will continue until Stewart signs a new deal to commit his long-term future to Sunderland, but he says that is completely out of his hands.

“All the noise going around him, I can’t really affect that. I just try to keep the relationship strong so he knows how important he is to our team and club.

“It’s not my role to put a gun to his head and say, ‘You have to sign this contract’. The bottom line is that himself, his agent and the club will be in discussions about those things, and fingers crossed we get to a conclusion where he signs and stays here because he sees this as an amazing vehicle to progress his career in the right direction and help this club prosper at the same time.”

Stewart is in line to make his return to the Sunderland side at Hull this weekend after missing 15 games with a thigh injury.

Mowbray has only been able to call on the Scotsman once since being appointed Sunderland head coach, and he can’t wait to have him back available.

“It’s no surprise if Ross is getting linked with other teams,” he said. “He’s a good player – I know his data is still right up there at the top end of the division for strikers.

“I see a lad who wants to train, wants to work and wants to help our team. I see him grafting away at what he does, and when I watch the training, I see a really good player who links the play really well as well as getting on the end of things that come into the box. We’re just looking forward to having him back in the fold really and for him to help us win some football matches.

---

Read More Sunderland Coverage

• Martin O'Neill: 'Sunderland will play in the Champions League one day'
• OPINION: Tony Mowbray beginning to baffle too often with odd decisions
• REVEALED: Which Sunderland players have played the most minutes this season?
• Kyril Louis-Dreyfus: 'Sunderland very, very far from where they need to be'
• Sunderland coach happy to see 'man mountain' back after injury