Back on the Big Stage

 Stern John and some of his Sunderland teammates have enjoyed the past few days as they celebrated promotion to the Premiership

 But they are still prepared to end the season on a winning note with a victory over Luton Town.

"We worked really hard to achieve this and we deserve it from the fans to the players and the management of the club. When I came here I did it to achieve big things and I wanted to be part of a club that was on the rise again and I'm experiencing that to the max now."

 “This definitely has to go down as a whole team effort. I did this promotion from the Championship with Birmingham City as well and now with Sunderland really has a special touch to it as well,” John added.

Keane bigs up Carlos

Roy Keane paid tribute to Trinidad and Tobago's Carlos Edwards after the winger fired a spectacular winner against Burnley.

 Edwards struck in the 79th minute to win it for Sunderland an subsequently push them through to the Premiership for the next season following Derby County's 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

It was the former Luton winger's fifth goal for the Black Cats since signing for them in January.

 Keane said: "Carlos has done well for us, we are fortunate to have him.

 "That position was a big problem when I came to the club. Liam Lawrence, credit to him, did well, but I did not see Liam as an out-and-out winger.

 "We tried different things and credit to the players, they did really well, but we knew we needed a natural right winger.

 "When we played Luton here, Carlos stuck in my mind and we thought we'd go and get him, and we are very fortunate to have him. The winning goal by Carlos was good enough to win any game,” Keane added.

Dwight: I was on the golf course when we got promoted

Dwight Yorke was out enjoying  a game of golf when Derby County suffered a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace sending Sunderland into the Premiership in the process.

 Like manager Roy Keane who was out walking his dog at the time, Yorke felt he had to be away from all the hype of Sunday’s game between Derby County and Crystal Palace.

 As such, the former T&T skipper was out playing a game of golf when he got news of Derby’s loss which pushed the “Black Cats” back into the top flight.

 “To be out on the golf course and find out we got promotion on Sunday was a great feeling. You  will find that when you get bit older and you are like me and the gaffer a little bit you try not to get caught up in it too much, We knew what we had to do next week.

 “My way of relaxing was getting a game of golf and getting way from all the hype and concentrating on the game next weekend. Now everyone’s happy and buzzing around the place,” Yorke added.

 Asked to comment on Roy Keane’s role as manager and what stood out for him since joining the club, Yorke replied: “It’s the speed at which he’s made things happen. He has got the capability to go on and be a top manager only time will tell. What he has done here in such short space of time.. it’s remarkable. You have to be a special talent to do that at whatever level.

 “The manner of how the club has turned around in that six months I’ve been here certainly wets your appetite for the Premiership again, you are sort of licking your fingers to see who you are going to get first game of the season.

 And to which moment stands out for him, Yorke would only say “I think that dreadful telephone  call from Ropy Keane on that day telling me to come back but it worth every single moment of it.”