Edouard Michut is proving he has the talent to shine in the Championship despite his diminutive size, according to Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray. With skipper Corry Evans injured, on-loan Paris St Germain midfielder Michut has recently broken into the Black Cats' starting line-up and has quickly come to terms with the demands of English football.
He had a rare off-night in Tuesday's defeat at Rotherham but prior to that he had impressed in central midfield alongside Dan Neil. And Mowbray is a big admirer of the 19-year-old France youth international.
"He's got a great spirit within him," said Mowbray. "He's a waif of a boy and yet he uses every ounce of that body to get stuck in, really.
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"He wriggles underneath people's arms and gets past them. He's a very clever footballer. I don't think he has suffered through the physicality of the game, but he understands that his talent and technique has to overcome the physicality of lesser footballers who are trying to stop him.
"That's always been the case - some of the world's greatest footballers have been diminutive and slight. He understands that, he just has to be super-good with the ball and let his strengths overcome the strengths of the opposition and he'll be fine. I don't think I've sat and worried about the physicality of footballers of a certain type.
"As long as they can handle the ball, and handling the ball is very easy for Edouard - he doesn't need to look at the ball to control it and see the pass and the weight of it - he's a very clever kid. He's doing exceptionally well, and hopefully he just keeps on growing into the team."
Michut joined Sunderland at the end of August on a season-long loan, with Sunderland holding an option to convert the move into a permanent switch at the end of the season. So far he has made 12 Championship appearances, half of them starts, and has also started three times in the FA Cup.
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