Sunderland boss Roy Keane has urged his club's supporters to stop worrying as the former Man Utd midfielder declared that he wishes to stay at the club despite rumour of a summer exit.

"I would tell the supporters who might be worried to chill out," said Keane. "I'll sign a contract when I'm happy and I am at this moment in time, but there is another side to that - are we going to try and get to the next level?

"That is the question I'll be asking. I didn't ask it last summer because I'd only been a manager for two minutes and I'd achieved nothing. Now I can freely ask if we are indeed ready to go to the next level.

"I've been very lucky. When I took the job I met the investors and everything I asked of them has been fulfilled.

"They haven't come up short on anything in terms of me bringing staff in.

"The potential is unbelievable, that's why I took the job. I got phone calls to go to other clubs when I retired and I said 'no thanks'. But Sunderland excites me, and it takes a lot to get me excited!

"This year has been a massive learning curve for the players and for myself. Nobody has made as many mistakes as myself this season, and I have got to learn from that and learn fast."