Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil is enjoying an impressive run of form heading into the second-half of the Championship campaign.
Fresh from the disappointment of an FA Cup Third Round defeat to Newcastle United, Neil turned in an impressive display against Ipswich Town, banishing any thought of a derby day hangover.
Michael Beale's side were unable to come away from Portman Road with the all important three points, but more than matched Kieran McKenna's automatic promotion contenders.
Neil - alongside Pierre Ekwah and Jobe Bellingham - has been a mainstay in the red and white starting XI since December 9th, playing nine games on the bounce in just 35 days. Injuries to the likes of Corry Evans and Jay Matete has left the Black Cats short on options in the midfield engine room, with the aforementioned trio racking up the mileage.
It's the absence of Evans - the most experienced midfielder in Sunderland's squad - that has enforced changes in that engine room, with Neil and Ekwah forced into more defensive roles.
Both have fared okay over the course of the festive period, with Neil coming out on top in terms of ground defence across Sunderland's entire squad and impressing against Eddie Howe's Newcastle.
Prior to Ipswich, Neil boasted an average of 15.2 duels won per-game, with a 56 per cent succession rate in his last five games against Newcastle United, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Hull City and Coventry City.
However, success in that area is a bi-product of the hard work he's had to put in since breaking into Sunderland's first-team set-up.
"It's something that I had to develop," he told We Are Sunderland after the defeat to Ipswich Town. "When I first broke into the first-team, I was very much just on the ball.
"I wasn't really interested in the defensive side of the game but obviously in League One I got taken out of the team for that reason. It wasn't something that's just naturally happened.
"It's something I've had to work on to get back in the team. Last year, I felt my on the ball stuff went down a little bit and my off the ball stuff was good. This year I'm just trying to marry the two together and be a bit more of an all-round midfielder."
Neil has four goals and three assists to his name so far this season, but is keen to add that to his game as he looks to take Sunderland to the Premier League.
Michael Beale is the man tasked with fulfilling the potential of Neil and co, while also securing a return to the top flight.
It remains early days in his tenure at the club, but Neil has wasted no time in tapping into Beale's knowledge of the game and experience of working alongside one of England's greatest ever midfielders in Steven Gerrard.
"I had a good conversation with the gaffer," he said. "I think I was one of the last ones to get called in and go and speak with him, but I had a good conversation and I like his ideas. He was telling me about his experiences, saying how he's worked in Brazil and all the great players he's coached.
"I was just trying to nit-pick from certain things. England's best midfielder [Steven Gerrard] - he was his assistant for a long time. That's brilliant for me to nit-pick what he was like, even as a manager, it's still the same mentality, same character.
"I really enjoyed the conversation and I'm going to keep looking to improve."
Despite having little time on the training ground, there are already clear signs of what Beale wants from his side, particularly on the road, setting up to frustrate teams and hit them on the counter.
"We've looked at things a bit more out of possession," Neil said. "I'm not going to give away all the secrets but there's a chance for us to work on it in the coming weeks. Hopefully we can get better at it and come away with the points."
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The Black Cats talent has come a long way since breaking into the first-team back in 2020-21, establishing himself as a first-team pro the following season and kicking on in the return to the Championship.
The Academy of Light graduate has caught the eye of a number Premier League sides and it should come as no surprise as he continues to develop as a player. Nonetheless, the enjoyment of pulling on a red and white shirt is something that won't rub off the Black Cats supporter.
Neil said: "I enjoy it more when we win. I'm enjoying it, how can I not? I'm playing for the club I've always wanted to play for, we're playing really nice football, we just need to find a way to get results like Ipswich over the line instead of coming away with a 2-1 defeat from a set-piece. I'm sure once we do that I'll enjoy it even more."
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