JACK ROSS has challenged Jerome Sinclair to prove he is a “proper player” by cementing a place in Sunderland’s starting line-up.

Sinclair scored the first league goal of his professional career in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Peterborough United, and is set to be rewarded with his third start of the season when the Black Cate return to action at Bradford City this afternoon.

The 22-year-old is already at the fifth club of his senior career, having graduated through Liverpool’s academy and spent loan spells at Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City either side of a permanent move to Watford, but Tuesday’s appearance at the Stadium of Light marked just his ninth senior start.

He can no longer be regarded as a youngster, and while Watford’s willingness to shell out £4m to sign him two years ago highlights his potential, his career is still to really progress past first gear.

His season-long loan at Sunderland provides him with an opportunity to establish himself in the professional ranks, and Ross is confident he will seize it if he maintains the standards he set in midweek.

“We had conversations with him when he first came about the stage of his career he’s at,” said Ross. “He’s still a very young man, but we’ve talked to him about how things have gone for him previously.

“He needs to be playing more. He hasn’t managed that, although that’s primarily due to how things have panned out with injury.

“The great thing given he’s a loan player has been his attitude and approach to training. He’s conducted himself well and the way he communicates with me is great. That gave me a bit of comfort during this period, that he would be okay.

“It’s an important season for him. He needs to be playing regularly and scoring goals. I wouldn’t say he needs to kick-start his career because he’s already attracted the attention of a big club, but he needs to prove he’s a proper player, and the only way to do that is by playing games.”

Sinclair was only 19 when he made his senior debut as a loanee at Wigan, and his first Premier League appearance came two months later when he replaced Liverpool team-mate Rickie Lambert in the closing stages of a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

He signed a five-year contract when he joined Watford in 2015, but managed just one league start for the Hornets before he was loaned to Sunderland this summer.

His time on Wearside has been disrupted through injury, but he showcased his talents to impressive effect on Tuesday, scoring the Black Cats’ second goal as he swivelled neatly in the area after controlling Chris Maguire’s cross.

He can operate as a central striker or wide attacker, and with Charlie Wyke set to be sidelined until at least the New Year, there is an opportunity for him to establish himself as a key component of Ross’ first-choice forward line.

That would be an important step forward in terms of his development, as while he might have represented two different Premier League clubs, his lack of senior game time is a major weakness he has to address.

“When you’re judged at the end of your career, it’s not on the clubs you’ve played for, but on the number of games you’ve played,” said Ross. “I think if you’re truthful as a player, that’s what you look back on as well.

“I don’t know what he was like before, but as a young man, he strikes me as fairly mature. Whether he’s developed that just recently, I don’t know, but Tuesday was an opportunity for him to be in the team and he’s made it very difficult for him not to be in the team again now (at Bradford). He’s got to keep doing that.”

In the same way that Sinclair has benefited from Wyke’s absence, Reece James finds himself eyeing a first-team opportunity thanks to other players being missing.

With Bryan Oviedo suspended after his senseless dismissal four days ago, and Denver Hume set to be sidelined for another couple of months, James is set to make his first league start since August later today.

The summer signing from Wigan has been forced to kick his heels on the sidelines in the last few weeks, and while Ross is disappointed to have two senior players absent, he is delighted that James finds himself with an opportunity to prove his worth.

“I had a conversation with him earlier this week to tell him the opportunity is there for him now,” said the Sunderland boss. “Part of me is pleased that it’s come around because of how he’s conducted himself.

“It sounds very blasé, but now it’s up to him. He’s got an opportunity now to establish himself in the team and stay there. Hopefully, the players have already seen from me that I’m consistent in my selection with players who do well. If players are doing well and deserve to stay in the team, they stay there.”

Sunderland (probable, 4-3-3): McLaughlin; Matthews, Flanagan, Baldwin, James; Power, Cattermole, Honeyman; Maguire, Maja, Sinclair.