TONY MOWBRAY felt Tommy Watson was ready for his Sunderland debut on Tuesday evening – and is hoping the 17-year-old’s pace will enable him to continue assisting the Black Cats in the remaining three games of the season.

Watson made his senior Black Cats debut when he left the bench to replace Patrick Roberts in the 88th minute of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield.

The homegrown academy product, who only turned 17 a couple of weeks ago, has made rapid progress through Sunderland’s youth system in the last 12 months.

A mobile attacker who can play in a wide-attacking position on the left or as a central forward, has spent most of his time this season playing with the Black Cats’ Under-18s team in the Under-18s Premier League, where he has scored five goals and claimed four assists in 12 matches.

Having been elevated to the Under-23s squad, he has also chipped in with two goals and three assists in his seven appearances in Under-23s Premier League 2, with his performances at that level having brought him to Mowbray’s attention.

The Wearsider had been named in previous first-team squads without getting the chance to go onto the pitch, but that changed on Tuesday when he was granted his senior bow at the Stadium of Light.

“I just look at the assets of footballers, really,” said Mowbray, when asked about Watson’s debut appearance. “I don’t know loads and loads about him. I’ve seen him play in a few Under-23s games, and he’s trained with us a few times.

“I just think if you can face someone up one-on-one, and knock it on the outside of them, then he can run and get beyond people. Put the assets on the pitch – that’s how I manage really. It’s about trying to help the players and help the team.”

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Watson, a lifelong Sunderland fan, was unsurprisingly thrilled at getting onto the pitch at the Stadium of Light, taking to Instagram late on Tuesday evening to say: “Great moment for me and my family making my debut for my boyhood club.”

Mowbray fully understands the significance of Watson’s first senior appearance, but is adamant he did not decide to put the youngster onto the field for sentimental reasons.

He genuinely felt the teenager’s pace and enthusiasm could unsettle the Huddersfield backline, and is prepared to throw him into the fray again over the course of the next three matches, along with fellow teenage talent Chris Rigg.

The Northern Echo: Tommy Watson leaves the bench to make his senior Sunderland debutTommy Watson leaves the bench to make his senior Sunderland debut (Image: Ian Horrocks)

“The changes were about trying to help the team really,” said Mowbray, whose side find themselves two points adrift of the play-off positions after most of Wednesday night’s results went in their favour. “It was about trying to get more mobility and more speed on the pitch.

“That was all, really. It wasn’t about giving the kid his debut – it was about seeing the assets that he’s got and trying to use them to help the team get into a situation where we could create chances to score.”

That didn’t happen, with Sunderland failing to really threaten Huddersfield in the final few minutes of Tuesday’s game despite Mowbray’s attacking alterations.

The Black Cats have been pretty good at building up a head of steam this season, for whatever reason, Mowbray accepts that didn’t really happen against Huddersfield.

“The top teams, when they need a goal, it’s like the Alamo,” he said. “You’re camped in and can’t get out of your own box, never mind out of your own half. We have to be able to do that to teams.

“We have to be able to lock them in and push men on. We have to have quality, run without the ball, and slide people in. We have to make them just boot the ball out and create waves of attacks.

“We couldn’t really manage to do that against Huddersfield, and that’s why I think we just fell a bit short because, at our best, I think we can do that to teams.”