Sunderland boss Steve Bruce admits he's a big fan of Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Davies.

Bruce tried and failed to sign the 32-year-old frontman during his time in charge at Birmingham, and remains an admirer of a player who seems to have as many critics as he does fans.

Ahead of their clash with Bolton, Bruce said: "He is very clever, very, very good at what he does. He has played in the Premier League now for years and let's be fair, he has been Bolton's talisman for years.

"I would love to see their results without him when he is not playing. He has led Bolton from the front years after year, and he keeps doing it.

"At the weekend, the report I have just got, Kevin Davies was their star man again. He is paramount to what they do.

"I tried to sign him on a couple of occasions, unsuccessfully, but I like everything that goes with him as a footballer.

"He is big, uncompromising, gets on with it, tough as they come. He is a handful, that's for sure."