Sunderland defender Danny Higginbotham is determined to end their hard-luck stories this season.

Higginbotham admitted: "I'm tired of hearing from family and friends that we've been unlucky. We're sick of that word. I'd rather someone said we were awful but got three points.

"We've got to start turning unlucky into lucky.

"Getting relegated with Derby is my worst memory in football. It was an awful, awful feeling and I don't want to go through it again. I'm determined not to.

"But I'm not even thinking about it here, it's not even come into my head.

"We're 100 per cent determined that this club is going to stay in the division and the atmosphere round the place and the way we're playing is a completely different scenario to the other clubs I've been relegated with.

"The manager's desire to win is unbelievable. As a player he was the same; he doesn't suffer fools. Everyone has to be on their toes and he ' s brought that into management."