"I expect..." - Tony Mowbray makes transfer claim involving Sunderland player | OneFootball

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Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray believes goalkeeper Nathan Bishop will look to leave the club if he isn’t the established number one in the future.

The Black Cats brought Bishop to the club in the summer transfer window from Premier League giants Manchester United.

The 24-year-old was snapped up by the Red Devils in 2020 after he caught their eye with impressive performances for Southend United.

However, he never made an appearance for Man United’s first team, with his only success being his loan spell at Mansfield Town. That loan may have been what caught Sunderland’s eye, as the goalkeeper was purchased by the Championship club in the summer as they improved their goalkeeper options.

However, Bishop has yet to play a part for Sunderland in the league, with the club sixth in the table on 26 points, looking to mount another play-off push once again.

How is Nathan Bishop getting on at Sunderland?

Sunderland signed the former Man United goalkeeper on a three-year contract in the summer, but at this stage, it seems unlikely he will continue to be at the club for the whole of that contract.

The 24-year-old has yet to make a single appearance in the league, with Anthony Patterson the club’s number one, and that seems unlikely to change.

Bishop has been limited to just one appearance for Sunderland’s first team this season, and that came in the Carabao Cup in early August. The fixture ended in defeat, and therefore, Bishop’s game time was affected as the cup run was over.

His only other appearance has come in Premier League 2, and that game saw him concede five goals in just one game.

So, overall, it has been a frustrating time for Bishop, but despite his situation being what it is, Mowbray is surprised to see how positive the goalkeeper is.

Tony Mowbray on Nathan Bishop’s Sunderland future

Mowbray has been speaking about Bishop’s current situation at the Stadium of Light and has revealed how he finds it hard to believe that Bishop remains so positive despite getting very few minutes at the club.

Mowbray told the Newcastle Chronicle: "Nathan is an amazing professional footballer, he has an amazing voice, he drives everybody in training, he's constantly on at defenders to get up or get across or clear it.

“I find it difficult and think ‘how can you be so positive every day when you know you are not going to play on Saturday?’ But that’s the life of a number two goalie.

“I said to him the other day, at some stage over the next few years – not now, because you are only six months in the building – you have to get your career going, you have to play.

“If Anthony Patterson is staying here and continues to do well, and you aren’t playing, I expect you at some stage to knock on my door and say, ‘what do you think?’ But at this moment, he’s very very happy, he’s very positive.”

Should Nathan Bishop look to leave Sunderland soon?

When the 24-year-old joined the Black Cats in the summer from Manchester United, he would have known the situation he was getting into.

Anthony Patterson is clearly Sunderland’s number one goalkeeper, and he will likely remain that way until the day he leaves the club.

But Bishop will have probably wanted more opportunities than he had, as at this stage he is no better off than when he was at Old Trafford.

The goalkeeper has still got plenty of years ahead of him, and Mowbray knows there is going to come a point where he is going to want to leave as he searches for first-team football.

That is probably something Bishop may have to do sooner than he thought, as his game time at Sunderland doesn’t look like it will improve anytime soon.