TONY Mowbray has managed plenty of gifted young footballers who have gone to achieve huge success in the game, but what sets Jobe Bellingham apart from those who've gone before is his maturity, says Sunderland's head coach.

Bellingham doesn't turn 18 until later this week but has quickly established himself as a key man in Mowbray's side since his summer arrival from Birmingham City, starting every Championship game so far.

And Mowbray has been enormously impressed by the teenage talent - on and off the pitch.

He said: "I've worked with some pretty good young footballers. I think when you look at him at 6ft3, 6ft4, he's still what I call slightly hollow. He hasn't filled out yet, he hasn't got a big strong man's body. He has a boy's body but he's still 6ft3 and he can run all day and he has a fantastic attitude to want to get better and improve.

"I've worked with lots of 17-year-olds. Scott Brown went on to captain Scotland and Celtic for 10 years, I remember he had a red mohican the first day I saw him, Harvey Elliott was only 17 when he came from Liverpool.

"I would say Jobe, just his maturity as a human being is what sets him apart. He is so mature, he can hold a conversation about football on any subject and have an opinion on it.

"He belies 17 to be honest. He's a very bright sharp, intelligent, thoughtful young man."

READ MORE:

Bellingham has so far played in an attacking midfield role and led the line as a striker for Sunderland this season but looks set to drop into a slightly deeper role at Blackburn on Wednesday night in the absence of the injured Pierre Ekwah.

Mowbray was keen on signing another central midfielder in the summer transfer window but knew Bellingham was more than comfortable as a deeper midfielder if he needed to play there.

"We felt that Jobe was a safety net for us if we couldn't get someone in [during the transfer window], because it's no good just going out and bringing in a midfield player in who doesn't do the job - can't do the job - just because he is a midfield player," said Mowbray.

"We try to bring the right players in, at the right age, and with the right potential. Jobe's role doesn't change that much, to be honest. Because of his running capacity, he can still get into really, really, dangerous areas from the [deeper] position."