Key man: Gavin McCann
On signing a new, lucrative long-term contract this summer, McCann, not normally a man for the bold statement, pledged to eradicate last season’s inconsistencies and get back into the England squad. A strong, two-footed central midfielder, he is certainly good enough, even if his shooting could be improved. Peter Reid’s answer to Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, this Lilleshall graduate is shy off the pitch but no shrinking violet on it. When he plays well, so do Sunderland

Coach: Peter Reid
The subject of much ‘should he stay or go debate’ among Sunderland fans during last season’s dalliance with relegation, he has deservedly been offered the chance to show it was a mere blip after two successive seventh-place finishes

Full squad
Goalkeepers 1 Thomas Sorensen 13 Michael Ingham 30 Jurgen Macho, Thomas Myhre	Midfielders 16 Jason McAteer 4 Claudio Reyna 8 Gavin McCann 11 Kevin Kilbane 14 Nicolas Medina 20 Stefan Schwarz 21 Paul Thirlwell 26 Thomas Butler 28 John Oster 29 Tom Peeters 33 Julio Arca, Sean Thornton
Defenders 2 Bernt Haas 3 Michael Gray 5 Stanislav Varga 6 Emerson Thome 12 Joachim Bjorklund 17 Jody Craddock 18 Darren Williams 22 Simon Ramsden 24 George McCartney 25 Mark Maley 31 Ben Clark 32 Baki Mercimek, Phil Babb	Forwards 9 Niall Quinn 10 Kevin Phillips 15 David Bellion 19 Kevin Kyle 27 Michael Reddy, Lilian Laslandes

Strongest XI

Nationalities
England (11), Ireland (7), Austria (2), Sweden (2), France (2), Argentina (2), Denmark (1), Norway (1), Slovakia (1), Brazil (1), Northern Ireland (1), Holland (1), US (1), Belgium (1), Scotland (1) Total 35

Players in
Phil Babb, Thomas Myhre, Sean Thornton

Players out
None

Instant expert
Ground Sunderland Stadium of Light, Sunderland, SR5 1SU
Telephone 0191 551 5000
Capacity 48,353
Shirt sponsor Reg Vardy
Ticket office 0191 551 5151
Can I get a ticket? Some tickets are available, two weeks in advance
How to get there A 10-minute walk from Sunderland Central station
Club call 0891 121140
Club shop 0191 551 5050

New boy: Phil Babb
A Portuguese double winner with Sporting Lisbon last season, Babb is the former Liverpool left-back or central defender. Now 31, he claims to be the fittest he has been in his career and hopes for a recall to the Republic of Ireland’s ranks

Money talk
Top earners Phillips £26,500, Sorensen £21,500, Quinn £21,000

Total wage bill £23.21m
The 13th highest wage bill in the Premiership, though only 50.5% of the overall turnover, which totals £46.02m (the eight highest turnover in the Premiership)

Where are they now?
Tony Norman Sunderland’s former No1, retired, joined the police and is now PC Norman, patrolling Durham’s streets