Bolo: Black Cats can be European contenders

Dec 6 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

After two successive relegation battles, the signs are that those days of strife could finally be at an end and Sunderland are finally ready to compete in the top half of the table for the first time in almost a decade.

And Zenden says Bruce’s summer arrival as manager has been the catalyst.

He said: “Steve Bruce came in and changed a few things – he breathed new life into the place, and it seems everyone is pulling in the same direction.

“If you look at the atmosphere in the squad and also around the club and the training ground, it is very positive.

“The structure is there in terms of the training ground and the stadium and we have the backing of the fans, so in theory everything is there.

“The chairman, Niall Quinn, has also been a big part of it because he is an experienced football person and he knows exactly what a club needs to progress.

“What we’re trying to do here is to get the club to another level.

“It won’t happen overnight – it will take a little bit of time – but, as we all know, in football you don’t always have a lot of time so the sooner the better!”

Zenden joined Sunderland in the summer when his contract with French side Marseille expired.

The 33-year-old free agent had offers from clubs around Europe but says a return to the Premier League – where he previously had stints at Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Liverpool – was always his first choice and when Sunderland came calling, he was determined to come back to the North East.

“It’s true that maybe this area isn’t so popular with some foreign players, and that maybe they find the capital more appealing,” he admitted.

“But I have been in this area for two years with Boro before and I enjoyed it very much so, for me, it was no problem coming up to the North East.

“Obviously, Sunderland is not as glamorous as Barcelona or Chelsea or Liverpool, but the main thing is that the club – and the city – breathes football.

“I had a few clubs in different leagues in Europe who were interested in signing me but, as I made clear when I turned down a two-year extension at Marseille, my main focus was to come back to the Premier League.

“Obviously, I already knew Sunderland and the area from time with Boro and when I knew that they were interested, and I saw the kind of players Steve Bruce had already bought, I wanted to come here.

“He has brought in some quality players – when Darren Bent left Spurs, the only club he wanted to join was Sunderland which was a big sign that the club is heading in the right direction.”