Steve Bruce will use his Wigan Athletic model at Sunderland - and hope he won't have to sell his best players when the vultures swoop in.

Bruce said: "It is a different world here. The backing at Sunderland is the best I have had in my career.

"I am proud of what I achieved at both Birmingham and Wigan, but I have no excuses for not being successful with what I have around me.

"It is a super club with a real football man as chairman in Niall Quinn, wonderful support and I am getting full backing to bring in players.

"It is all there for me.

"I need to create a side as good or better than Wigan.

"At Wigan we were in the top six or seven until January. We had a chance of getting into Europe and still did with six or seven games to go.

"I must try to get a team like we had at Wigan. It is going to be difficult because they were good.

"If I can get close to that model then I know we won't have to sell players."