Sunderland youngster was 'the best player in League one' last season

Tony Mowbray getting close up look at a player he was urged to sign for Blackburn.

Sunderland had the ‘best player in League One’ last season in Dan Neil, according to assistant manager Mark Venus.

Neil played much of the season for the Black Cats as they finally hauled themselves out of League One via the play-offs, although he was taken out of the team towards the end due to exhaustion.

He played enough to catch the eye of Venus, though, who repeatedly urged Tony Mowbray to bring him to Blackburn.

That deal obviously never happened due to Sunderland’s promotion and Mowbray not renewing his deal at Ewood Park, although the pair are getting a very close up look at Neil now at Sunderland.

Mowbray is the first to admit that he had not personally watched Neil in League One, but he likes what he sees now – even if he believes the youngster needs to be pushed at times.

"If you picture me sitting in my office at Blackburn Rovers last season talking about players,” Mowbray said. “He was saying to me 'the best player in League One is Dan Neil, you've got to go and get him gaffer - you've got to go and get him."

"I was saying 'I haven't seen him'. I didn't really study him, but Mark had studied him a lot. Veno was telling me how good he is on the ball because he likes possession football, and playing forward and blah, blah, blah.

"Now we're here [at Sunderland] and I see the qualities, but I also see the personality that needs encouraging, needs pushing, needs showing the repetition of what he has to do. He's still got lots of growth in him.”

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