Tony Mowbray: 'With total respect to Sunderland, Patrick Roberts should be playing in the Premier League'

'The penny is dropping' for Patrick Roberts and he is fully committing to his talent, says the Sunderland boss.

Tony Mowbray believes Patrick Roberts should be playing in the Premier League - and he is finally starting to show the commitment to himself required to get there.

Roberts is a player of immense quality who was signed as a youngster by Manchester City before playing Champions League football for Celtic.

However, he allowed his career to drift, and Sunderland were able to pick him up on a free transfer whilst still playing in League One.

He has hit a really rich vein of form lately, with him putting in a matchwinning performance against Reading on Saturday.

That may be the result of Roberts finally realising what it takes to make the most of his talent, and Mowbray thinks the winger has developed a new mentality towards his lifestyle this season.

"Hopefully the penny is dropping for Pat,” Mowbray said. “He's an amazing footballer and I hope we can help him play in the Premier League.

“I think he’s starting to live the life of a footballer from what I can see. He's lost two-and-a-half kilos in the last few weeks. I'm just trying to make him live like a footballer.

“Patrick Roberts shouldn't be playing in League One or even, with total respect to this football club, he should be playing in the Premier League in my opinion. And so he has to live like it.

"It's down to him. I know I maximised my career. To get to where I got in football, I wasn't a superstar, I was just a centre-half who used to try and win headers, but I got the most out of myself by living the life - eating, sleeping, drinking, I haven't drank alcohol since the age of 18 because I wanted to be the best footballer I can be.

"I have these conversations with Pat. He should be earning hundreds of thousands a week playing in the Premier League and living the life that his talent deserves, and yet he was playing in League One for Sunderland."

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