Sunderland are one of many fallen giants attempting to climb back up to the Premier League after a six-year exile with a relegation to League One – and four years spent in England's third tier – sandwiched in between.
Now battling with the big guns at the top end of the Championship, the Black Cats have risen from beneath the rubble to mount a challenge on the automatic promotion spots.
While their chances of returning to the top flight have been bolstered by their recruitment of talented youngsters since their return to the second tier with the likes of Pierre Ekwah, Daniel Ballard, Jack Clarke and most recently, Jobe Bellingham, forming the ingredients for Tony Mowbray's promotion recipe.
Several youngsters from Sunderland's famed youth set-up have shot onto the scene and seen their value skyrocket. 16-year-old Chris Rigg is the most recent example but the 2007-born youngster, who scored in the 5-0 hammering of Southampton, isn't the only Black Cats graduate to have made the first-team jump.
Since making his breakthrough in the 2020/21 campaign, Dan Neil has made a profound impact at the Stadium of Light, cementing his spot in the heart of their midfield and playing huge role in the club's endeavors over the past few years.
How much was Dan Neil worth at the start of his career?
South Shield's born Dan Neil was captured from Hebburn Town juniors at the age of eight and having grown up as a supporter of the Black Cats, had dreams of paying for his boyhood club.
The 5 foot 10 star would soon realise those dreams after making rapid progression through the underage groups, impressing for the U18s and U23s before being handed his first team in an injury-time win over Swindon in March 2021.
While the youngster was presented with a few opportunities to impress, largely in the EFL Trophy, Neil's major breakthrough came in the 2021/22 campaign as he made 39 appearances in League One and played a huge role in Sunderland's promotion back to the second tier.
In one performance, the rising star captained his hometown side to victory over Lincoln City in the Papa John Trophy but perhaps more notably, was compared to Manchester United icon Michael Carrick by talkSPORT commentator Ian Danter.
He said: “His performance reminded me of the first time I saw Michael Carrick running a game at Molineux for Swindon on loan some years back. Very impressive indeed and a lovely goal too.”
What is Dan Neil worth now?
From putting in that Carrick-esque performance, Neil's progression from a promising homegrown prospect to an increasingly influential Championship midfielder has been the result of commitment, a relentless desire to improve and above all, exceptional coaching in an environment that encourages talent to flourish.
The 21-year-old has widely impressed since making his first-team debut and this is reflected in his expected transfer value (xTV), as per Football Transfers, rising from around £950k (€1.1m) in September 2022, on the back of their promotion-winning campaign to around £5.4m (€6.3m) in the present day.
How has Dan Neil performed this season?
Putting aside a dubious red card against, coincidentally Carrick's Middlesbrough last weekend, Sunderland's midfield metronome has risen to stardom as one of the best midfielders in the Championship this season, excelling as the driving force in Mowbray's midfield while showcasing his exceptional passing range.
In the summer, as per Football Insider, Liverpool had a strong interest in signing Neil, who they saw as someone who could fill the void left by Jordan Henderson’s departure to Saudi Arabia in the long term having previously captured the England international from the Black Cats in 2011.
On the evidence of his performances this term, it's clear to see why the Reds have closely monitored the youngster for the past 12 months, possessing the technical attributes to have an explosive impact in the final third by chalking up two goals and two assists in 11 appearances from his deep-lying midfield role.
The Black Cats academy graduate is a star that shines brightest when comparing his ball-playing abilities with his Championship positional peers, ranking in the top 1% for progressive carries, top 11% for pass completion, top 4% for successful take-ons and top 9% for non-penalty goals, as per FBref, with those domineering displays showing Danter he was right in drawing comparisons to Carrick.
The youngster's progression in the first team has been aided by the arrival of Pierre Ekwah, who acts as the destructive ball-winner in the partnership so that Neil's technical qualities are able to flourish.
The pair have formed a crucial partnership in the heart of Mowbray's midfield but since the injury to the Frenchman, Sunderland have missed the balance that the latter provides and once he returns, will have the requisite partnership that can fire them to promotion.