Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn revealed he was delighted that the club secured Premiership survival. Quinn is confident that Keane will keep hold of boss Roy Keane after securing survival.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," the chairman told SAFC TV. "It's a marvellous thing for the club, the fans, the manager, the players and the city in general.

"For anyone around the world who holds this club close to their heart, Saturday was a big day.

"It means we can kick on and drive forward. It's a far bigger prize than getting into the Premier League, staying there gives you a chance to build.

"Who knows how far this journey is going to go? I'm just thrilled that we have another shot at it next year and we have the steel to get better and better.

"If you were to break it down, step one was to get the club out of the Championship and re-build the connections with the fans.

"Step two is to stay in the Premier League, consolidate and try to kick on, we've completed most of that now.

"Step three is to challenge those clubs around mid-table - Spurs, Man City, West Ham, get in there among them. Who knows? You might go a step further and challenge the Aston Villas, Blackburns and Portsmouths.

"But we've got to do it on good, strong foundations, not on quicksand where it all falls away."