Duncan Watmore is the sort of footballer capable of confounding entire sets of preconceptions about his profession.
Polite, modest and in possession of a first-class honours degree in economics and business management from Newcastle University, the winger is on the verge of establishing himself in Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland first team and Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21 side.
Cheered on by his father, Ian Watmore, formerly the Football Association’s chief executive, the 21-year-old made his first Premier League start for Sunderland at home to Southampton this month. Then on Monday in Brighton he came off the bench to game-changing, match-winning effect for Southgate’s side as they beat Switzerland 3-1 in a Euro 2017 qualifier .
Signed from non-league Altrincham during Paolo Di Canio’s ill-fated Wearside reign, Watmore has had to bide his time at the Stadium of Light. Neither Gus Poyet nor Dick Advocaat was overly keen to involve him in the first team but Allardyce has seen something in his game that his predecessors perhaps missed.
“I think Duncan’s got something in his make-up that other players haven’t,” Allardyce says. “He likes to try to get in behind defenders, get in between them and in on goal. He’s scored a couple of goals when he’s come on as a substitute and I’ve seen a couple of great runs from him which picked up the fans and got us up the other end of the field.”
Yet as many bright young England players have discovered over the years, starring for under-21s is one thing, establishing yourself in the Premier League quite another.
“Unfortunately Duncan didn’t produce any real quality to cause Southampton any problems,” said Allardyce who had selected Watmore ahead of £20m worth of talent in Jeremain Lens and Fabio Borini.
It begs the question as to whether Watmore’s career would be best served by a few months on loan at a promotion-chasing Championship club. With Sunderland locked in a desperate relegation fight that is not going to happen so neutrals can only hope that, having been hurled into the deep end, he manages to stay afloat.
Although it is far too early to assess Watmore’s long-term potential, the early indications are encouraging. Certainly a young man who displayed determination and discipline in combining studying for his degree – often burning the midnight oil as he pored over textbooks – with training will not be found wanting in the dedication department.
Technically, too, the signs seem promising. Despite being right-footed he is happy to operate on either flank and can also play in a more central attacking capacity.
Dubbed “the Ginger Messi” by his friends, he is likely to find himself back on the bench when Sunderland visit Crystal Palace on Monday night but knows that, coming off it, he has the capacity to alter games.
Introduced in the 75th minute at Brighton with England trailing 1-0, his acceleration, confidence, clever movement and willingness to run at opponents tipped things England’s way. “Duncan made a fantastic impact in terms of pace, directness and super runs in behind defences,” said Southgate after seeing Watmore create his side’s first goal by winning a penalty, score the second and then provide a classy assist for the third.
“It’s not surprise he’s an intelligent player because he’s an intelligent boy,” Southgate added. “He picks up ideas really quickly, he’s a raw, emerging talent. It’s still very early stages for him but that rawness contains great potential. He will certainly maximise his ability because of his mentality and his desire to learn and to improve. We’re seeing glimpses of what he capable of but he’s very grounded. I’m chuffed to bits for him. It’s lovely for him to take centre stage.”
Much better at running at defenders than operating with his back to goal – still a weakness – Watmore improved considerably under Robbie Stockdale’s guidance last season after the former Middlesbrough defender took charge of Sunderland’s Under-21s.
With Stockdale promoted to coaching Allardyce’s seniors, this element of continuity can only assist the progress of a forward capable of making and scoring goals.
It also helps that an all too rare first-team graduate from Sunderland’s development squad fully appreciates that adversity goes with the terrain. Ever since his release by Manchester United’s coaching programme at the age of 12, Watmore has known better than to take anything for granted.
It explains why being named “revelation of the tournament” when he shone for England Under-20s in Toulon last summer did not go to his head. That, after all, was the easy part; consistently keeping Lens, Borini and maybe even Adam Johnson on the bench would be a tremendous achievement.
“I’m trying to play as much as possible,” Watmore says. “The new manager has been great with me since he’s come in. He’s given me opportunities. If he gives me more I’ve just got to make sure I take them.”
Whatever happens, Watmore’s progress promises to serve as an intriguing, perhaps uplifting, subplot to Sunderland’s latest season of struggle. Where he and his team end up is anybody’s guess but Allardyce has seen enough to make him the one exception to a new rule that no senior player contracts will be negotiated at the Stadium of Light until Premier League status is secured.
Watmore, unlike far too many of his Sunderland team-mates, is someone rivals want to sign. The good news for Stadium of Light season-ticket holders is that he appears in no hurry to leave.
“Do I want to stay at Sunderland?” he muses. “Yes, I do. It’s a great club.”
