JACK ROSS claims Grant Leadbitter’s impact over the last few weeks proves you can never have enough good players at your football club.

Eyebrows were raised when Leadbitter returned to Wearside in January, with Sunderland already boasting a large number of central midfielders.

With Lee Cattermole, Max Power, George Honeyman, Dylan McGeouch, Lynden Gooch and Bali Mumba already on the books, it was questioned whether the Black Cats really needed another player in the middle of the park, but Ross was adamant that Leadbitter’s leadership qualities and technical expertise would enable him to offer something different.

His opinion has been firmly franked in the last month, with Leadbitter’s influence helping enhance Sunderland’s overall performance level and proving a major factor in the club’s unbeaten start to 2019.

“I think he’s been very good from the minute he set foot in the club, in every aspect,” said Ross. “His on-field contribution is the one that everybody will see, but I get to see his off-field contribution on a daily basis.

“I think I’ve said previously that I liked Grant from the very first moment I spoke to him. He’s been a really good addition for us. How he’s helped to strengthen the group, both on and off the pitch, cannot be underestimated.

“There were some really good types and characters here, and some good players, and all we did was get another one. People maybe believe you should only recruit those types of players when you don’t have enough of them, but I think you just keep recruiting them if you can keep finding them.

“They’re not easy to find, those that fit both on and off the pitch, but he certainly fits that bracket. I think you can see from his performances and how he reacts after games, he’s loving his football just now..”

Leadbitter’s on-field qualities were evident in Tuesday’s Checkatrade Trophy semi-final win at Bristol Rovers, as he calmly controlled the game from the heart of midfield.

Given that he was comfortable playing in the Championship with Middlesbrough earlier this season, it is hardly a surprise that he has immediately stood out at League One level, but his performances have nevertheless been impressive.

Off the pitch, he has been equally influential, setting standards in training that his team-mates have been desperate to match.

“The move wasn’t done for sentimental reasons,” said Ross. “Either from Grant’s point of view or mine. It was done because he believed he would be an asset for us, and I believed he would be an asset for me.

“We stripped back what we had in that area of the pitch, and although we had a lot of options, did he bring something different to that area of the pitch? Yeah, I think he did, and I think he’s shown that.

“It’s coincided with us having greater control over matches, and I think he’s brought out the best of the other players around him, not just in the team, but also in the squad. I think a lot of players have responded to how he does things and upped their levels.”

Leadbitter will retain his place at the heart of midfield as Sunderland travel to Wycombe Wanderers this afternoon, and will once again be joined by Lee Cattermole, who has been passed fit after missing the game at Bristol Rovers with a minor hamstring complaint.

Reece James will also return to replace Adam Matthews at left-back, while George Honeyman should be available to start despite injuring his hip at the Memorial Ground.

Sunderland (probable, 4-2-3-1): McLaughlin; O’Nien, Flanagan, Dunne, James; Leadbitter, Cattermole; Morgan, Honeyman, McGeady; Grigg.