Diamond praises Johnson for bringing the ‘good vibes’ back to Cats

Jack Diamond has hailed the impact of head coach Lee Johnson – and has opened up on his long-term targets on Wearside.

The winger, who recently signed a new contract to keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2024, has been one of the main beneficiaries of Johnson’s arrival having found himself a regular in and around the first-team squad.

While starts have been limited as of late, Diamond has put in some fine showing from the bench – most notably at Wembley as he helped the Black Cats secure the Papa John’s Trophy.

His potential saw Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman dish out the new longterm contract, making the 21-year-old the first player to be handed fresh terms at the club.

And Diamond believes the faith shown in him by Johnson has shown in his performances so far.

"I started off with the first-team and played preseason, and I think I’ve done well in most of the games that I’ve played,” he said, speaking to SAFC.com.

"As soon as he came in, he threw me right in, gave me some trust and told me what he wanted. "I think I’ve done well.” And it’s not just Diamond who has been lifted by Johnson’s arrival.

The mood around the Academy of Light has lifted and results have followed, with an 11-game unbeaten run in League One propelling the Wearsiders firmly back into promotion contention.

And the Gatesheadborn youngster says there are ‘good vibes’ around the squad at the moment.

"It just reflects off everyone,” he explained.

"The Under-23s are winning, the first-team winning and everyone is happy around the place and it’s real good vibes to be around right now.

"Everyone is bouncing off each other.”

So what next for Diamond and Sunderland?

While the short-term aim is promotion back to the Championship, the youngster has his sights set on the long-term.

"I just want to get Sunderland as high as I can, and keep playing and progressing,” he said.

"The individual goal is always the same, but as a team that’s the one you really look forward to – to try and get as high as you can.”