CALLUM DOYLE is confident his spell at Sunderland will be a massive help to his long-term development – and is delighted to know the staff at Manchester City are keeping a close eye on his progress at the Stadium of Light.

Despite having only turned 18 at the start of this month, Doyle has made a major impression since joining Sunderland on a season-long loan in the summer.

He has started all bar two of the Black Cats’ league matches, with his polished and authoritative performances marking him out as a potentially special talent.

Understandably, he does not want to look too far into the future, but he remains in regular contact with his employers at the Etihad Stadium and clearly hopes to make his mark as a Manchester City player at some stage.

“I like to think in the present, and like to keep doing what I’m doing now,” said Doyle, who is also a major part of England’s Under-20s set-up.

“Then, hopefully, good things will come in the future. People (from Manchester City) check up on me, and I like to chat to them and see how it’s going.”

Doyle had a host of loan options in the summer, but after chatting with the coaching staff at City, he opted to move to Sunderland because he felt a season on Wearside would best aid his progress.

Lee Johnson’s footballing philosophy was a major factor in the decision, with the Sunderland head coach encouraging Doyle to play out from the back, as well as the size of the club he was joining and the opportunity to play in front of more than 30,000 supporters at the Stadium of Light.

“I’ve learnt a lot this season already, and hopefully they can help me along,” said Doyle. “I came to Sunderland because the gaffer likes to play out from the back and that’s my game. I like to bring the ball out from the back, and it does suit me a lot.

“Then there was also the club itself. It’s a big club, the fans are amazing, so it didn’t really take much convincing to come.

“It’s a big challenge (playing in front of so many fans), but it’s great you have the fans behind you and it really gets you up for the game.

"It’s one of the reasons I came here, to experience the crowd and experience what it feels like playing in a big stadium.”