EVEN though he wasn’t the man who brought him to the club, Patrick Roberts has hailed the impact of manager Alex Neil after guiding Sunderland back to promotion to the Championship.

Roberts, who signed a six month deal in January, was signed by Lee Johnson just nine days before his sacking by the Black Cats hierarchy following a 6-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

Neil was hired the following week and led the team to a 16 match unbeaten run that saw them promoted via the League One play-offs beating Wycombe in the final at the weekend.

After initially being out of the side, Roberts has gone on to play a starring role talking the Black Cats to the second tier. In the final at Wembley, Roberts and his attacking partners put the sword to the Chairboys which the manager deserves a lot of credit for the way he set up the team.

“He’s come in and he’s had an idea of how to play” said Roberts. “He doesn’t give a lot of nonsense as you know. Speaks the truth and says it how it is. Says you need to does this.

“They were lacking defensively and we had the quality up front. We just needed to exploit that which we kind of did today. Me, Embo, Alex and Ross up front, we needed to capitalise on it. We did that. I could have scored myself, on another day that goes in but I’m just pleased to get it over the line and be promoted.”

The Northern Echo:

Pressure moments over the years have got the better of Sunderland over the years but it wasn’t to be the case at the weekend with the Black Cats ditching the baggage of their previous Wembley woes to climb back into the Championship.

Perhaps the expectation and the size of the club have played a role in the club’s overdue stay in League One but if it has, then it’s been a different situation this time around according to Roberts. It starts from the top and the manager has had the coolest head. “He’s huge” continued Roberts. “He’s come here and been the calmest man around the place. He has an idea tactically of what to do. He’s been fantastic.

“Even with players like me, I’d never come across him before but he’s trusted in me. He’s told me to work hard and he’s given me that faith to go on in these games. I’ve played every game since he put me in. I’m just glad he came in. He’s brought me on a lot and he’s been fantastic.”