Tony Mowbray says 'raw talent' is unlikely to get Sunderland recall
Tony Mowbray believes Jack Diamond has ‘raw talent,’ but he has no intention of bringing him back to Sunderland this season.
Diamond has spent most of the season on loan at Lincoln in League One, where he has been doing exceptionally well.
Pictures emerged of Diamond training with Sunderland again this month, prompting speculation that Mowbray may be considering recalling the winger. The Black Cats boss, though, says he believes Diamond is in the right place for now.
“Jack Diamond has got talent,” he said. “I saw him play at Hartlepool in pre-season for Sunderland and he looked alright on the left-hand side, chopping the ball and putting the ball across but I don’t know enough about him.
“He hasn’t been in the building since I’ve been here apart from that one day’s training. It was only one day because he was cup-tied and didn’t play in the FA Cup for them so he came and trained. That was all. It was nothing other than that.
“He looked alright to me. We haven’t discussed what is happening with him and the bottom line is there’s no point him coming back if he doesn’t get in the team.”
You sense that if Diamond was going to be recalled it would have been during the last two months when both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms were injured.
The fact Diamond remained at Lincoln during that time always suggested he was not really on Mowbray’s radar, and he has confirmed he doesn’t feel he’d be able to offer the academy product much football right now.
He also doesn’t think Diamond himself would want to be back at Sunderland at the moment either.
“Ross will be available, Ellis will be available, if he’s going to come and be number 18, 19, 20, he’s better off playing football wherever he’s playing football,” Mowbray said.
“That’s the same with all the young players. You want players to play. I get a queue outside my door if they’re not playing and don’t get in the 18. Young footballers want to play football.”