Steve Bruce is new Sunderland manager

Sunderland have announced Steve Bruce as their new manager. The deal has been signed for three years.

The "messiah for the lower placed teams" joins Black Cats after two seasons at the JJB with Wigan.

Sunderland were lucky to narrowly escape relegation which eventually saw Newcastle United,West Brom and Middlesbrough go down to the Championship.

Sunderland chairman,Nial Quinn said :

Steve will bring a professionalism and strength of character to this club that will really help to bring us forward to where we all want to be.

He knows more than anyone what football means to people of this region and I'm confident that he will be able to instil into our players exactly what it means to play for this football club.

Bruce follows Ricky Sbragia as the manager for the club after Sbragia resigned on the final day of the season after steering the club to safety.

Its been suggested that Bruce would be given £60million to spend in the summer and bring in quality recruits.

He is already linked with Spurs' Darren Bent and Wigan trio of Antonio Valencia,Paul Scharner and Titus Bramble.

First and foremost he would have to prove to Sunderland fans about his commitment to the club with his Tyneside roots.