Sunderland Academy graduate Dan Neil has enjoyed an excellent breakthrough season into the club’s first team since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Up until August, Neil had only made two league appearances for the Black Cats, both of which were only brief one-minute cameos towards the backend of last season.
However, under Lee Johnson this term, a great deal of responsibility has been placed on his shoulders with a regular spot in the heart of the midfield.
That is a responsibility that the 20-year-old has been thriving upon throughout the season, as he is among the league’s best for one particular statistic.
And that statistic is assists. Neil has registered six of them in League One over the course of the campaign so far, which is the joint second highest in the division.
Only MK Dons talisman Scott Twine is ahead of him, with Accrington Stanley’s Sean McConville, Fleetwood Town’s Danny Andrew, and former Sunderland man Max Power all currently level.
Not only is he able to provide the right passes at the right times for his teammates in and around the box, but he is also adept at keeping the ball to ensure his team remain on the front foot.
Of all the players in the top 10 in the division for assists, only Wigan Athletic’s Will Keane has a better pass accuracy.
Neil had completed 82.1% of his passes so far this season, showing just how comfortable he is at retaining possession in what is always a congested area of the pitch.
His performances this season are certainly doing Sunderland’s Academy proud and if he continues this form, he has a big role to play in the Black Cats’ promotion push ahead of the second half of the season.
