Jack Diamond explain reasons behind Sunderland loan exit | OneFootball

Jack Diamond returned to Sunderland this summer after a successful loan spell with Harrogate Town which had seen him playing first team football week in, week out.

Despite Sunderland having been promoted to the Championship whilst the winger was away and his loan club being interested in signing him, Diamond returned to the Stadium of Light for pre-season hoping he could show off his talent at a higher level.

However, with days remaining of the summer transfer window, the 22-year-old secured himself another loan spell, this time to League One with Lincoln City.

This is a decision, however, that looks to have been largely pushed by the player himself as he admitted to the Sunderland Echo: “I always kind of knew that if I wasn’t going to play that I didn’t want to kind of sit around.

“I think a loan was the best option if I wasn’t going to play. I gave my all in pre-season then I think it just kind of came to a point where I was looking and a few clubs were asking what was happening.

“When it came to the first game of the season and I wasn’t in the squad or anything it was kind of a question of when would be the right time.”

However, despite not being involved in the squad on the opening day, Sunderland were waiting to bring names in before they would sanction a move away and as a result, Diamond ended up playing just four minutes of Championship action.

The player felt this was a frustrating time as he said: “Obviously the club has to protect what the club wants.

“There were a lot of clubs texting my agent saying what’s happening, am I going on loan, am I allowed to go out.

“It’s the club first so they have to wait and see what players they have in, where I might fit in as I might be needed.

“It’s just then kind of a conversation with everyone, just what would be the bet thing for me and I think everyone was on board that a loan was the best way forward.

“Last season I played loads of games so you don’t want to come back and be n the same position, not playing and the team is not playing the formation where I’m going to realistically play.

“It was quite an easy call in the end.”

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The Verdict:

Although this will have been a frustrating time for Jack Diamond at the start of the season, the winger has now got his move and has started life at Lincoln well with four goals in League One already for the Imps.

This season will be his chance to show he can do it at a level higher and if he keeps up good form, he will be returning to Sunderland with a fair desire to be played.

The fact that Diamond wanted to move away knowing it would increase his game time says a lot about him as a player and his desire to continue growing his game which should be encouraging to Sunderland fans.

It seems as though the 22-year-old is keen to show exactly what he can do in League One this year and help his new side do as well as they can.