Not For Sale! — Dan Neil embodies everything that is Sunderland

01/24/2025 01:00 AM

If we can hold our nerve for the remainder of the season, Neil could easily find himself leading the Lads out against Premier League opposition, writes Phil West

It might come to nothing, but recent rumours linking Dan Neil with a move to the Premier League, and specifically to Everton or West Ham United, should certainly be enough to pin back the ears of most Sunderland fans as well as potentially adding a dash of anxiety to the final stages of the January transfer window.

Of course, given our incredible turnaround in form under Régis Le Bris and our status as one of this season's elite Championship clubs, the fact that many of our leading lights may be on the radars of top flight sides feels more than a little complimentary.

After all, the evidence of 2024/2025 thus far suggests that after the fiasco of 2023/2024, all the Lads needed was a coach of appropriate ability to help turn around their form, and recent results — encompassing a mere two losses in twenty one games and a host of impressive individual performances, many of them from Neil himself — speak for themselves.

The subject of some very harsh criticism during the early months of the season, Neil has risen to the challenge of running the red and white midfield superbly and his performances are now hitting consistently high standards, with his leadership credentials blossoming as well.

Defying the expectations of many supporters (myself included, to a degree) he's gradually started to master his role within the side and his all round game and influence on our style of play is surely comparable to any Championship midfielder you'd care to name.

Indeed, with Salis Abdul Samed now in the picture, Milan Aleksić gradually improving and Enzo Le Fée making waves as well, only the brave would bet against Neil continuing to elevate his game and become an even more rounded player in the face of some healthy competition.

With this in mind, how should we feel about the prospect of our captain, a boyhood Lads fan, and one of this side's key players bidding farewell to Wearside and following his former teammate Jack Clarke to the top flight?

Contractually he may be in a state of limbo, but that can and really should be addressed as swiftly as possible.

Simply put, Neil is the embodiment of all that's exciting, wholehearted and progressive at our club, and the idea of him playing under a manager who was at the helm during some truly wretched times from our recent past is somewhat unsettling.

David Moyes' return to Goodison Park may be coated in nostalgia and the optimism of the Toffees' upcoming move to a new stadium, but there's little goodwill for the Scot in Sunderland circles and one hopes that Neil's love for the club, his status as its skipper and our prospects for the remainder of the season will be enough to keep him at the Stadium of Light until the campaign reaches its end at the very least.

Occasional social media grumblings aside, it's obvious that Neil is loved by our fans.

He's playing under a head coach who's bringing the best out of him on a weekly basis, he's a durable and reliable presence in the team and at twenty three, he has the bulk of his career ahead of him.

To play devil's advocate, just imagine welcoming one of the Premier League heavyweights to Wearside for the first game of next season, and Neil leading the Lads out to what would certainly be a raucous reception.

That's something he's probably dreamed about for the best part of a decade, and it may well come to pass if we can hold our nerve for the remaining league games and possibly during a playoff campaign.

In one sense, this feels like something of a precursor to the summer should we fail in our mission to achieve promotion to the top flight.

The simple fact of the matter is that the likes of Neil, Jobe and Chris Rigg can't be kept under wraps forever, especially given the pull of top flight sides at home and abroad, and if we find ourselves planning for another season of second tier football come the summer, it's a safe bet that it'll be without these immensely exciting young players.

That said, you would hope that in the short term, Neil retains enough belief in our direction of travel and what we could achieve this season to convince him that the Stadium of Light is the best place for him.

Kristjaan Speakman and company may already have succession plans in place, but the best immediate development would be for the club and Neil to thrash out terms on a new contract, thereby ensuring that if we do lose him at some stage, it won't be for a fee that doesn't reflect his true value.

Such a breakthrough would give everyone a huge lift and may also serve as an additional spur for everyone, both players and fans alike, to ensure that 2024/2025 ends on as exciting a note as possible.