Jack Diamond has explained how Alex Neil's summer departure from Sunderland almost scuppered his loan move to League One Lincoln City. The Black Cats' homegrown wideman was already in the process of joining the Imps on a season-long deal in August when Neil opted to leave Wearside to take over at Stoke City, and that left Diamond in limbo with no new head coach in place to sanction the move.
But ultimately Diamond was allowed to finalise his switch to Sincil Bank, with Tony Mowbray succeeding Neil the following day. "It was a funny one," Diamond told Sky Sports.
"We were waiting to see if the deal would go through and it was taking a couple of days, then we got the news he [Neil] was leaving. I didn't know who to speak to!
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"I didn't know if it was still going ahead, or what was happening. But it was getting to the end of the window and I didn't want to take any more time, because otherwise I would have had to wait until January to move.
"I decided I'd rather have the situation in my own hands where I'd go out on loan, and if I didn't play well then it was on me. But if I'd stayed there and not played it would have been difficult."
Diamond had spent the previous season on loan at Harrogate Town in League Two which meant Neil had had little chance to see him first hand. The 23-year-old played his part in pre-season but was not going to be a regular starter, and he decided a loan move would be a better option for him, and he has gone on to score eight goals in 21 outings in all competitions for Lincoln.
He said: "It was in my head that if I wasn't going to be a regular starter I'd want to go out on loan. It was important for me to keep up that momentum.
"That was the attitude I had, I wanted to play all the time regardless of where it is. I had a conversation at the beginning of pre-season because [Neil] had come in after I'd gone out on loan the season before, and he'd never really had the chance to see me.
"Then I had a decent pre-season, but it was getting to the point towards the end of the window where a few teams were asking about loans. I wasn't starting, so I had a conversation with the manager over whether I'd just be there as a squad player.
"He said he didn't want to not let me progress by just keeping me in case someone got injured, and I didn't want to sit around waiting, so I knew the opportunity to go on loan would be the best thing for me."
Diamond had previously had a spell on loan at Harrogate in the National League and helped the club earn promotion to League Two, but the move to Lincoln was another step up as he joined a club which has a track record in developing young players. He said: "It was the history of how they've used loans that appealed to me. It's quite a big part of how they approach the market, and a culture they have of treating loan players well.
"It seemed a really good platform for what I wanted to do, and a good place to come and show what I'm about. It just felt like a good fit and a natural progression after spending time in the National League and in League Two.
"Going out on loan has been a good pathway. It's not always as straightforward as just coming through an academy and playing.
"I feel I've developed well, that I've matured a lot on the pitch and that I'm better at dealing with up and down spells. I started really well, then had a few games where I didn't score or assist.
"But it's about learning how you can affect games when you're not always on the ball. I've got good athleticism. I'm quite direct and quick, and in the past few years my goals and assist numbers have been good.
"I like to think I'm positive. I always want to go forward, take risks with the ball and beat my man before finding a pass or a cross. I love exciting, direct players - the type of players everyone wants to watch, like Eden Hazard when he was at Chelsea. There are some wingers now that are just scary, the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
"I hope to test myself in the Premier League one day. I've still got so long left in my career and I don't see why I can't get there.
"It's a natural progression, I've just got to keep pushing myself."
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