Sunderland defender Denver Hume has proven his quality in patches this season.
Hume has suffered badly with a knee injury, which has limited him to just eight appearances in all competitions.
However, the 20-year-old has started to build a name for himself at Sunderland now.
The youngster came off the bench to make an impact in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley at the weekend.
And Ross believes that Hume can still reflect on this campaign positively, even if he hasn’t played regularly.
“He was great [on Sunday],” Ross said. “He’s been in my thoughts for a while now since he came back fully fit.
“For him, I think he’s had a really good season. I know that sounds so strange because he had a big chunk [that he missed] through injury but when he got the opportunity to play in the first team he really grabbed it, he was really good.”
Hume could well be in with a chance of starting for Sunderland when they take on Accrington Stanley this evening.
The Black Cats were beaten on penalties by Portsmouth at Wembley and will be eager to bounce back, as they look to boost their promotion chances.
Sunderland are currently in fourth place in the League One table, but they have games in hand over all their promotion rivals.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
