Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray believes Manchester United loanee Amad's impressive cameo performance in Saturday's 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic can be the catalyst for his Black Cats career to explode into life.
Trailing 1-0 at the break, Mowbray, who succeeded Alex Neil as Sunderland boss at the end of August, made the decision to call upon the United youngster to try and help his side get back into the game at half-time. He stepped off the bench to replace Lynden Gooch and was deployed up front, joining forces with Jack Clarke.
Although he came on to play up front in a 4-4-2 system, the Ivorian, who was recently criticised by Mowbray for being too reluctant to shoot, was almost everywhere, earning rave reviews from the Sunderland supporters after the match. He did not score or set up either of the Black Cats' two second half goals, but it was a 45-minute showing that offered plenty of encouragement.
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And for Mowbray, who could be tempted to hand him a starting berth for Tuesday evening's clash with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, the United loanee provided enough evidence against Wigan that he is keen to make a name for himself at the Stadium of Light.
"I think Amad needed to prove to everyone, not just me, the lads here and the ones that are Sunderland through and through, they needed to see that he really cares about every single result and that he's on the same level as them," Mowbray said. "He's a loan player and he showed on Saturday that he's ready to fight for the team.
"I see every day, the talent that he has is unquestionable: the quickness of his feet, the softness of his touch, the deftness of his little flicks - he is some footballer.
"He just needs to bring it all together and the team needs to know that when he is on the pitch that he is going to help them win games and not drift in and out. He needs to run back as well as forwards, work hard, tackle, battle and challenge for headers - and he has done that for us.
"I really think he can enjoy his time here as a result because the talent is unquestionable. Nothing seems to faze Amad, he takes everything in his stride, and he's one of the lads that we're integrating into the group.
"We've talked a lot about shooting more when he gets the opportunity and we'll keep working on that."
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