Dan Neil reacts to fresh Sunderland agreement as he outlines Premier League ambition | OneFootball

Sunderland have secured the service of Dan Neil on a new contract at the Stadium of Light.

Neil has put pen-to-paper on new terms in the North East, with Sunderland confirming last night that the midfielder has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal with the Black Cats, committing him until the end of the 2025/26 season.

"I’m excited to be extending my time here – I’ve really enjoyed myself so far and I feel like I’m learning and developing, which is what I want at my age having broken into the first team," Neil enthused, as quoted by the club's official website.

Neil has made 95 senior appearances for Sunderland, scoring six goals and registering a further 12 assists from central midfield.

He notched 10 goal involvements last season as Sunderland won promotion from League One under Alex Neil, whilst he's continued to contribute in the Championship with two goals and four assists.

The 21-year-old continued: "All my family are Sunderland fans, so I have immense pride playing for the Club."

Tony Mowbray's side are currently 11th in the Championship table, having seen their play-off hopes take a hit in recent weeks with only one victory in seven games. During that run they've suffered four defeats to fall seven points adrift of Millwall in sixth.

Neil's ambition, though, remains helping Sunderland into the Premier League during the length of his new contract: "I always said I wanted to try and help this Club get back to where it belongs and signing this contract will give me an opportunity to help do that."

Sunderland have an international break this weekend and are back in action on Friday March 31st when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor in one of the division's most daunting fixtures right now.

The Verdict

Firstly, it's worth noting that Neil deserves this long-term agreement at Sunderland. He's stepped up into the Championship well and is going to be an important player over the next three seasons.

Sunderland's ambition during the next two or three years is going to be building towards a sustained promotion push in the Championship, built around young players like Neil.