Jack Diamond: Glowing reference for Harrogate Town loan signing from Sunderland AFC boss Jack Ross

Jack Diamond in action for Sunderland against Carlisle United

The versatile 19-year-old attacker arrived at Wetherby Road this week on a deal that will see him remain in North Yorkshire until January.

"Jack Diamond is a good player," said the Black Cats' first-team boss Jack Ross.

"He has a really good ability to take the ball on the half-turn and go forward, he drifts past people so easily."

Diamond, who can operate on either flank or as a number 10, caught the eye of the League One giants' chief and his backroom staff last season while playing for the club's under-23s.

The youngster was then rewarded for having taken on board the advice of Ross on how to improve his game with a first-team debut against Carlisle United in the Checkatrade Trophy.

"We've actually been feeding information to him and in the recent under-23s games he's taken that on board, which is really good," Ross revealed back in October.

"So that [his chance with the first team] was fitting reward for him."

Diamond spent time with Spennymoor Town in National League North last term, and with regard to him making another temporary switch, Ross said: "Jack Diamond and all of those at the higher end of the under-23s, they need to go out on loan and benefit from that.

"We’ve seen that it helps players."

Town's assistant manager Paul Thirlwell was instrumental in bringing Diamond to the CNG Stadium through his contacts at the Stadium of Light.

"I have spoken to Kevin Ball regularly since I left the club regarding their under-23 players," explained Simon Weaver's number two, a Sunderland player between 1997 and 2004.

"I got a text last week saying that Jack might be available and he's a lad with a lot of potential so we went and had a look at him in a game against Aston Villa on Friday night.

"To be fair, he really stood out and he will add something a bit different to what we already have in the building.

"He's got two good feet and he's in the squad to help us create and score goals.

"He is a lad who I know Sunderland think very highly of."