Blackpool manager Neil Critchley has been delighted with Elliot Embleton's form since signing for the Seasiders on loan from Sunderland.
The 21-year-old midfielder made a deadline day switch to Bloomfield Road with Black Cats head coach Lee Johnson happy for him to get more first-team experience in the North West
Blackpool are in excellent form in League One, beating Sunderland's promotion rivals Peterborough 3-1 in midweek to hand the Wearsiders a potential advantage in the race for a top-two place.
But Critchley hasn't been surprised by the impact Embleton has made in a more advanced No 10 role, after watching him playing at Sunderland.
“I know how good Elliot is and how good his qualities are, so I’m not surprised how well he has slotted into the side lately,” he said.
“I saw him play quite a lot during his time at Sunderland and I think he went under radar a bit when he signed for us on deadline day.
"I was quietly confident that he could play a big part for us and I think he’s proving what a good player he is.
“His last couple of performances have shown what he is about. Technically, he is very good, he links the play together well, he wants to score goals and he’s got a confidence and assurance about his play.
“He can create goals and is a goal threat, and between now and the end of the season I’m sure he’ll be a big player for us.”
Sunderland still have to play Blackpool twice in their remaining nine games, with the game at Bloomfield Road on April 17 followed by a return fixture at the Stadium of Light ten days later.
However, Embleton will be ineligible to play against his parent club in those two matches.
Speaking after the deadline day move, Johnson explained how the deal came about - and what he hoped would come of the loan.
"To be fair, it was Elliot's decision," he said. "It was a bit of a catch-22 situation. I really like Elliot and he is a good young player for us, but when I sat down and worked out what we could do, sometimes having too big a squad can be difficult to manage.
"He's an excellent player, one of the best trainers, and we would have definitely used him but he maybe wouldn't have got the starts that he wanted or that he warranted or could have got somewhere else.
"When you have someone who is ours who we believe in, if he is not going to get the minutes then he is better off continuing his progression – as he has at Grimsby in League Two before, and now in League One – and then he will hopefully be ready for us."
