Sunderland want to bring Thailand coach Peter Reid back to the club.

The People says chairman Niall Quinn is delighted at the way Ricky Sbragia has settled after replacing Roy Keane in December.

And last week's goalless draw with Arsenal at the Emirates, in which Sbragia out-thought Arsene Wenger, has only strengthened his position.

Indeed, Sunderland will now probably abandon any ideas they had of bringing in a top foreign manager in the close season.

But Quinn accepts that Sbragia, whose strength is on the training pitch, needs some help off the field - and Reid, who guided the club to their best Premier League position of seventh in 2001, fits the bill.