New Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is going on holiday.

Bruce has already started the process of identifying potential transfer targets, and admitted they might include some of the men with whom he worked so successfully at Wigan.

Antonio Valencia, Paul Scharner, Titus Bramble and Lee Cattermole have already been linked with the Black Cats, while the manager is also understood to be an admirer of Cattermole's former Middlesbrough team-mate Matthew Bates, who is out of contract at the end of this month.

However, before he does anything, Bruce will resume the family holiday he interrupted earlier this week to fly to Dublin and then Wearside to tie up his return to his native north-east.

He said: "I am definitely, definitely - I have said to Niall and the owner - going away for a holiday, because I need one.

"It's been a long, tough season and I do believe you need that.

"It's four weeks away before we are back to work, so I will take two or three weeks off and come back ready for the challenge."