Less than 12 months after beating Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final, Sunderland could soon be preparing for another visit to Wembley.
The Black Cats, who spent four seasons languishing in England's third tier, kept their hopes of achieving a top-six finish in the Championship this term alive on Saturday, beating Birmingham City 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. Manchester United loanee Amad netted a terrific winner with just 15 minutes of normal time left on the clock, moving them to within two points off the play-off places.
It marked the Ivorian's 12th goal of the season, all of which have come in the Championship, meaning Sunderland's supporters are slowly preparing themselves for an emotional goodbye ahead of their season concluding next month, either on May 8 or at Wembley a few weeks later. In a campaign that has seen the Black Cats deprived of star striker Ross Stewart for almost all of it through injury, Amad has stepped up and established himself as one of the division's most dangerous operators.
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The 20-year-old, who joined United from Italian club Atalanta in January 2021 for £37million, has been a joy to watch for anyone with the slightest interest in the Championship this season, often lighting up games in the blink of an eye. His fearless approach and silky skills have meant that he has captured the hearts of second tier fanatics and there is a good chance he could be crowned the division's Young Player of the Year at the annual EFL awards this coming Sunday.
Although Amad, currently, will be fully focused on trying to keep Sunderland's dream of achieving a second successive promotion alive in their four remaining games, United manager Erik ten Hag, as reported by the Manchester Evening News, has already seen enough of the winger to be prepared to include him in his plans for next season. The Dutchman and United's staff are understood to be pleased with the progress he has made this season, with the Championship once again proving to be the ideal destination for the club's youngsters to showcase their talent.
Amad has benefitted from working with experienced boss Tony Mowbray, who played a key role in Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott's development during a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in 2020/21, learning from his knowledge of the Championship and his ability to get the very best out of young players.
Mowbray, too, has not been afraid to plunge Amad into unfamiliar situations this season. Drafted in on a season-long loan deal as an orthodox right-winger last August, the United youngster has also operated as both an attacking-midfielder and a striker.
Speaking to MUTV last month, Mowbray said: "He can play wide, he can play inside, he can play deep. I think he can play centre-midfield for us in the Championship, you know. Just give him the ball and he very rarely loses it. Yet we generally put [Patrick] Roberts really wide and play Amad just inside him.
"We've had huge success down the right-hand side of the pitch with those two linking and playing with each other, people running off the back of the two of them and sliding people in. It's very profitable for us. He is versatile.
"I see United games, I watch a lot of football, and Bruno [Fernandes] plays a bit of everywhere, off the right sometimes, inside as a No.10 or as a running No.8, he can play deep and link the midfield up. Amad is a similar type of footballer."
Although it is important to both remember and appreciate the gulf in quality and expectations between the Championship and the top-end of the Premier League, more and more players have made the jump in recent years. For example, it was not that long ago that Ben White of Arsenal and Manchester City's Jack Grealish were Championship operators.
Amad has demonstrated that he has the attacking capabilities, the skillset and the trickery to make the grade at United, perhaps as soon as next season. His versatility in forward areas means that he will be attractive option to Ten Hag, with the Dutchman often calling on his attacking players to exit their comfort zones.
The Ivorian, according to Transfermarkt, has played 11 times as a right-winger this season, seven as an attacking-midfielder and seven as a centre-forward. If he can replicate such versatility at Premier League level, he could tick a lot of boxes for United and Ten Hag.
The Reds are already well-stocked in wide areas ahead of next season, even though Facundo Pellistri and Anthony Elanga could leave on loan, meaning Amad, as an alternative, could be a suitable back-up option as a No.10 or as a striker, offering quality in reserve.
If Ten Hag, come pre-season, sees enough from Amad to suggest that could play out wide, as an attacking-midfielder or as a striker, the youngster could prove to be a very useful weapon in the Dutchman's arsenal. His Sunderland loan spell, regardless of the conclusion, has been worth its weight in gold, both for Amad and United.
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