John O’Shea will run out into the white heat of the Tyne-Wear derby having already had a taste of the fierce rivalry this week.
The Sunderland skipper will lead his team out at St James’ Park on Sunday looking for an unprecedented fourth successive victory over neighbours Newcastle in a game which could go a long way to determining how enjoyable Christmas is for the respective clubs’ supporters.
But O’Shea and his team-mates have already been left in little doubt as to what is expected by both sets of fans after their traditional hospital visits on both Wearside and Tyneside in the last few days.
The 33-year-old Republic of Ireland international said: “We went on the hospital visits and it’s brilliant seeing the kids in their particular colours whatever hospital we were in, some Sunderland, some Newcastle.
“We went to the RVI [Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary] to the kids’ part and the cancer wards, and the cheer that some of the fans get from seeing us, but also the grief we get as well is brilliant and it puts a big smile on our faces and makes you appreciate what you have in your family when they are happy and healthy, especially at a time like this.
“It could be a kid who’s gone through a terrible time and had some operations and what have you, and he is just looking at you and saying, ’Look, get a win’, or a kid saying, ’I hope you lose at the weekend’, whatever the case may be.
“It’s a very humbling experience. It’s one of those things that does make you realise that football is very important, but there are also some other very important things in life as well.”
For 90 nerve-racking minutes on Sunday, football will be the only focus as the Black Cats attempt to deny the Magpies a restorative victory at the end of a difficult week which saw them lose 4-1 at Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League last Saturday and then bow out of the Capital One Cup at the quarter-final stage at Tottenham on Wednesday evening.
O’Shea said: “Obviously, the [Newcastle] fans won’t have been too happy with the result, but by all accounts, I don’t think it was particularly a 4-0 drubbing like a 4-0 tends to be. They had plenty of chances at crucial stages in the game.
“Look, they were on a fantastic run of form as well, so we are under no illusions it’s going to be tough. But we have been very solid and close to winning lots of matches as well.
“We just need that little bit of a killer instinct all round the pitch to make sure we come away with three points instead of a draw.”
Sunderland go into the game on the back of a frustrating run of five draws and a defeat in their last six league games, and they have collected three points only twice in 16 attempts to date this season.
However, O’Shea admits the cliche about form going out of the window in derbies does apply, and knows the spoils will go to the team which handles the occasion the better.
He said: “Ultimately, it’s just down to ourselves, how we prepare. Everything has gone well and whatever team the manager picks now we have to do our business, we have to do the stuff on the pitch, it’s as simple as that.
“The players on the day who perform to their best, can execute, technically be sound, everything, all those things that go into it and want to win the game ultimately will come out on top.”