TONY Mowbray hopes Sunderland reach the Premier League before current top flight clubs come knocking for Dan Neil.

Mowbray believes it's just a matter of time before Premier League clubs start showing an interest in the midfielder.

The 21-year-old was brilliant as Sunderland got back to winning ways in the Championship with an impressive 1-0 win away at in-form Norwich City on Sunday.

Neil led by example in the middle of the park and Mowbray believes the youngster is destined for the Premier League - hopefully with Sunderland.

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"I genuinely think Dan Neil is on a journey which will hopefully with this club take him to the Premier League," said the Sunderland boss.

"If it's not this club and we can't get there fast enough I think the Premier League will phone up about him.

"He's an amazing human being and wants to be a footballer who listens to everything you tell him, who wants to get better, who sits and watches his clips and what he did well and what he didn't do well. He's just a kid on a journey and it's going to be tough to stop him.

"Our job as coaching staff is to help him along, keep making him understand he needs to have both aspects. The best midfield players in my mind, the ones who can do both, have some steel and then look silky and play lovely passes, but then when the ball breaks between him and the other guy, he smashes into the tackle and comes out with the ball.

"Dan is learning those aspects. He's still a young man but somewhere down the line he will become a really good footballer."