Jack Diamond is flourishing on loan at Harrogate Town, and could even help the Yorkshire side win the National League title.
With 11 wins in 14 Simon Weaver's side are just four points off Barrow in top spot, and are also just two wins away from reaching the FA Trophy final at Wembley.
The Sunderland winger had been inconsistent in the early stages of his loan spell, but has three goals and three assists in the last five, taking his season tallies to four goals and eight assists.
Understandably, Weaver has been delighted with the 20-year-old.
He told the Harrogate Advertiser: "We knew he was good enough. We saw the potential with what Jack was doing in training on a regular basis, so we challenged him to start delivering in games.
“We challenged him to show everyone what he can do, because matches are where you are judged.
“If we are being brutally honest, the end product wasn’t good enough, but now Jack is red-hot and he’s doing it.
“It’s always satisfying to see a young player coming through and realising their potential, but it’s the player that deserves all the credit.
“His attitude since he came here has been spot on.”
On how much Diamond has learned at Wetherby Road, Weaver continued: "He is now choosing better times to take risks.
“We want him to take those risks in the opposition half. I think he’s learned when and where to try and get at the opposition.
“He’s such a threat when he is on the ball, he’s able to grab hold of the game and go and do real damage.
“He’s a very exciting player to watch, it’s great to see him in such brilliant form and helping the team.”
Sunderland received criticism in recent years for not sending enough of their younger players out on loan, and it's something they've tried to rectify in the last couple of years.
Most recently, Bali Mumba was sent on loan to South Shields last week and he netted a winning goal on his debut on Tuesday evening.
And Weaver believes Diamond's attitude towards the loan has made his temporary switch a shining example of how loans should be used by clubs and players.
He’s really bought into this loan,” Weaver added.
“He’s a really good lad, he’s not arrogant or big-time at all. He might be a Sunderland player, but he didn’t come with an attitude of ‘oh I’m only here for a short period of time, so it doesn’t really matter’.
“He’s fully committed himself to trying to play his part in achieving something special this season and I think you can say he is reaping his rewards now.
“He is benefiting from playing regular games of first-team football and I think there are so many other young lads who are missing out because they don’t get this opportunity.
“These players need more than just academy football. They need chances like Jack has had to test them as people, to show how they react to things like getting dropped or a crowd getting on their backs.
“Credit to Sunderland for letting Jack come here, and credit to him for how he’s done."
