LUKE O’NIEN has made a promise to Tony Mowbray in the wake of his goalscoring exploits in last night’s 3-0 win over QPR – ‘Play me up front, and I’ll score you 15 goals a season!’

Having spent most of the last two years playing as a central defender or full-back, O’Nien found himself moved back into midfield as Mowbray opted to rest both Dan Neil and Edouard Michut at Loftus Road.

The 28-year-old responded with a barnstorming display that saw him dovetail neatly with Alex Pritchard and open the scoring as he bundled home from close range in the first half after Dan Ballard’s header had been saved.

O’Nien is more than happy to fill in as a midfielder when required, and while his offer to play in attack might have been made with his tongue firmly in his cheek, his tag as Sunderland’s Mr Versatile means it could not be completely ruled out.

O’Nien said: “I keep telling him (Mowbray), I’ll score 15 goals a season up front. As always, I said to the gaffer, I’ll play where you need me.

“If it’s a job off the bench, if I’m coming on or if I’m starting, I will do the best job I can for the team and for the club.

“I really enjoyed it, and the two boys at the back (Dan Ballard and Danny Batth) are just monsters in the best possible way. Pritch helped me out in midfield because it’s been a long time coming since I’ve played there.

“I think I signed as a midfielder and have probably only played there three times - and that’s this season.”

O’Nien led the celebrations in front of more than 2,500 travelling Sunderland supporters’ at the final whistle, and the fans’ favourite was happy to have helped provide the red-and-white army with a Valentine’s Day to remember.

He said: “We really enjoyed the evening, from back to front the subs that came on, it was just a top, top night. The fans, everything, it was a really, really good evening.

“We got the goal, were solid defensively and when we needed Patta (Anthony Patterson, who saved a second-half penalty from Ilias Chair) as well, he delivers as always - the postman in the goal. It was a very good evening and a very good Valentine’s Day.”