Sunderland boss confident Duncan Watmore will not fall into the same traps as Jack Grealish

Grealish has been banished to Villa’s Under-21 squad after boss Remi Garde reacted furiously to pictures showing the 20-year-old in a Manchester nightclub on the same day as last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Everton.

The incident follows previous controversies involving Grealish inhaling nitrous oxide and lying prostate in the street during a holiday in Tenerife, and have fuelled the impression that the midfielder is putting a party lifestyle ahead of his footballing development.

Like Grealish, Watmore has also burst on to the Premier League scene in the last 12 months to considerable fanfare, but that is where the comparison between the two youngsters ends.

Watmore, who recently gained a first-class honours degree in economics and business management from Newcastle University, is generally regarded as one of the brightest and most grounded members of the Sunderland squad.

His life is changing rapidly, with team-mate Jermain Defoe this week likening him to a young Gareth Bale, but within the Black Cats hierarchy, there is a strong confidence he will not allow his new-found fame to go to his head.

“You have to be capable of pushing away distractions,” said Sam Allardyce, who has made Watmore an integral part of his first-team plans since replacing Dick Advocaat last month. “Duncan, and particularly his old man (Ian), with having been at the FA (as chief executive) and involved with the rugby (on the board of the World Cup committee), seem to be very good and very level-headed.

“Hopefully that type of situation (going off the rails) for Duncan won’t, I would hope, happen. His dad hopefully wouldn’t let Duncan get too above his station, or too cocky or arrogant too quickly.

“When you get all the headlines you can tend to go the wrong way instead of the right way which is where you have to become more dedicated. You have to get rid of all the distractions, which is very difficult for a young man when you’ve got a few bob in your pocket and everyone wants a bit of your attention because of the stardom of being in the Premier League.

RISING STAR: Duncan Watmore celebrates scoring for England Under-21s

“We seem to see so many youngsters go off the rails a little bit. But you cannot stop learning, you cannot stop improving just because you’ve made it to first-team level at 20 or 21. It’s about how long you can extend your Premier League career for.”

Watmore exerted a considerable influence as a second-half substitute in Monday’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, and is likely to be back on the bench when Sunderland return to action against Stoke City this afternoon.

His pace and direct running make him an ideal impact replacement, although Allardyce has shown in previous games that he is not afraid to select the 21-year-old as part of his starting line-up.

Either way, his presence in the squad for the remainder of the campaign looks pretty much assured, with his boss delighted with his ability to beat an opponent in a one-on-one situation.

“He’s at the front end, and he’s got great attributes,” said Allardyce, who is set to name an unchanged starting line-up this afternoon. “His ability to receive the ball and his energy, his capabilities of beating a player and then getting away from them  - those are the exciting things.

“Some players can beat an opposition player quite easily, but they can’t get away from them because of lack of pace. As sharp as he is, he seems to be able to get round them and then get away from them too.”

Allardyce has developed a reputation for resurrecting players coming towards the end of their career, mainly thanks to the performances of the likes of Ivan Campo, Fernando Hierro, Youri Djorkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha at Bolton.

However, he has never been afraid to blood young talent, with his most notable success in that sphere coming courtesy of a midfielder who went on to captain Newcastle United.

“In career terms for me, the player that has to stand out is Kevin Nolan,” he said. “Kevin was captaining the team (Bolton) at 17 or 18, and went on to lead them through to the Premier League by the time he was 20.

“I tell you what, by the time he was 23 or 24, he had already had a long extended Premier League career.

“Kevin’s package was not only about his ability to score goals - his overall package was about his determination and quality in terms of his understanding of the game and his leadership qualities.

“Put all those together, and he’s had an extended career in the game with very, very few injuries. He did his hamstring for the first time last year - I don’t know whether that’s fortune or because of how dedicated he is?”