One to Watch – Duncan Watmore

Name: Duncan Watmore
Date of Birth: 08/03/1994
Previous Clubs: Altrincham Town, Sunderland, Hibernian (L).
Appearances (Goals): 34 (5)

There`s not a great deal to be positive about for Sunderland fans at present, as the club looks set to be embroiled in another relegation scrap this season as they sit second from bottom in in the Premier League with one point from their opening five matches, having finished last term just one place above the dropzone.

In 22-year old attacker Duncan Watmore however, who plays largely on the flanks, they possess an exciting young English talent whose pace and direct style of play, which regularly sees him running at defenders with the ball at his feet, can often lift spectators off their seats during what looks to be a difficult time for the club.

Released by hometown club Manchester United at the age of 12, Watmore signed to local Non-League side Altrincham Town when he was 16, and after catching the eye with 14 goals in 29 appearances for the Conference North side during the 2012/2013 campaign, he moved to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.

Having linked up with the club`s U21 squad, he made his first-team debut for the Mackems in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2014, as Gus Poyet brought him on for the final half an hour of a 3-1 victory over Carlisle at the Stadium of Light, which was closely followed by a loan move north of the boarder to Hibernian.

Watmore joined the then Scottish Premier League side for the second half of the 2013/2014 campaign, where he turned out 11 times in all competitions and scored one goal for the club, before returning to the North East.

He didn`t feature at all for Poyet the following year, but it still proved a highly successful period for the player despite a difficult start, as after sitting out the first three months of the U21 season thanks to a broken leg, he returned to bag 11 goals in 19 appearances, earning him the U21 Premier League Player of the Year award.

His form was rewarded with being named in the first-team squad for the opening day fixture last season, at home to newly-promoted Norwich City, which ended in a 3-1 defeat to the Canaries, but is a match he won`t forget after coming off the bench to net a consolation in the final few moments on his first top-flight outing.

The following month, he was called up to Gareth Southgate`s England U21 side for a fixture against a USA U23 side, in which he provided the assist for James Wilson`s winning goal as the score ended 1-0, and two months later, he came from the bench win a penalty, score one and set-up the third in a 3-1 win over Switzerland.

Identifying they had a raw but exciting talent on their hands, Sunderland moved to tie him down to a four-year deal last November, and he made steady progress for the club last term, turning out 25 times and netting four goals, three of which came in the Premier League, while he has featured in all six of the club`s games this term.

With David Moyes facing an injury crisis upfront, as Jermaine Defoe, Fabio Borini and Victor Anichebe sit out the visit to Loftus Road, Watmore could find himself in a more central attacking role this evening, and he`ll fancy his chances of opening his goalscoring account for the season against a recently shaky Rangers backline.