New deal a bonus for Bruce and Quinn
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has praised Steve Bruce for the stability he has brought to the club after awarding him a new contract.
The 50-year-old last night put pen to paper on an extension which will keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2014, and received a glowing endorsement from the man who brought him to Wearside in the first place.
Quinn said: “It was hugely important to bring stability to this football club and I firmly believe that in Steve we have the man to do just that.
“In only 18 months, he has reshaped our squad beyond recognition, bringing in some fantastically talented players, many of whom are young and desperate to achieve and improve.
“He embodies the ethos of teamwork and the importance of camaraderie in creating a wonderful spirit of togetherness amongst the players and staff.
“As someone born and bred in the north-east, he fully understands the unique passion for football in this region.
“He has already raised the aspirations of not only the players, but also the supporters, and instilled a belief in everyone that we can go on to achieve the sustained success that we all crave for this club.”
Bruce was recruited from Wigan with a remit to end the club’s yo-yo existence and establish it as a fixture in the Barclays Premier League.
They narrowly missed out on a top 10 finish in his first season at the helm, but this time around, currently lie in seventh place and remain in the race for European qualification despite three successive defeats.
Bruce has been heavily backed in the transfer market and has twice broken the club’s transfer record to buy first Darren Bent and then Asamoah Gyan.
He was delighted to have agreed his future and is relishing the challenge of taking the club to the next level.
He said: “I’m delighted to have signed a new contract. It’s a magnificent club from top to bottom, with wonderful support and everything is in place here for a manager.
“We have the makings of a fantastic young team.
“It’s been a great challenge so far and one that my backroom team and I have relished, so we are looking forward to continuing with that over the next few years.”
