PATRICK ROBERTS has likened the sense of expectation at Sunderland to the feelings he experienced during his time at Celtic, and is confident the ‘big club’ feel of the Black Cats will help him reproduce the form that made him such a valuable performer at Parkhead.

Roberts spent two-and-a-half seasons on Celtic’s books, during two separate loan spells from Manchester City, and won three Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish FA Cups and two Scottish League Cups during his time in Glasgow.

When he played his final game for Celtic in 2018, he was regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Britain, but his career has stagnated somewhat since, culminating in the loan spell at Troyes that saw him make a solitary substitute appearance in the whole of the first half of the current campaign.

His January move to Sunderland has given him an opportunity to transform his fortunes, and while he struggled for match fitness in his early days as a Black Cat, his eye-catching performance in Saturday’s goalless draw at Lincoln suggests he is gradually getting back to his best.

“My best football came when I was playing in front of 60,000 fans in Scotland,” said Roberts, who also spent time on loan at Middlesbrough prior to joining Sunderland. “I come here and there are 30,000 at the Stadium of Light, and it’s the same kind of feeling, just obviously a different league.

“There is the same motivation, same ambition, same expectation from the whole club down to us players, and we want to get the job done.”

Roberts was just 17 when he burst onto the first-team scene at Fulham, so while it might feel as though he has been around for quite some time, he only turned 25 at the start of last month.

His best days should still be ahead of him, so while he only signed an initial six-month deal when he moved to Wearside in January, the fact Sunderland have the option of extending his contract by another 12 months means he is hoping to make a long-lasting impact with the Black Cats.

Up until now, his best days have come with Celtic, but as he continues to mature, so he is confident his performances will improve.

“I’d say I’m probably better now (than when he was at Celtic),” said Roberts. “Obviously, I’m older now, and when I was younger, maybe I was a bit sharper. But with the run I’ve had in the team at the moment, I’m just getting to my best football, and I can only get better.

“Hopefully, I’ll have time to show this club and these fans what I can do, and help them reach the goal, which is obviously promotion.”

Saturday’s appearance at Sincil Bank was only Roberts’ second start in a Sunderland shirt, and with his fitness levels having improved markedly since he left Ligue 1, the former England Under-21 forward will be hoping to retain his starting spot when the Black Cats return to action after the international break with a home game against Gillingham.

He freely admits he was not match sharp when he moved to Wearside at the end of January, but is much happier with the state of his fitness now.

“When I came, I kind of knew I hadn’t been playing a lot of football, as much as I was eager to play,” said Roberts. “It was about building that up, and getting to a place where I was physically comfortable.

“The manager spoke to me all the time and knew that, and I knew that, so it was just about working hard every day in training and waiting for my chance.

“Credit to the manager, he’s been great since he came in, and has been very good tactically, mentally, and he gets you in the right place. He didn’t have to say much to me, he just wants me to go out there and do what I do best.”