Sunderland boss Paolo di Canio says he is ready for the Premier League stage.

Di Canio will make his Sunderland debut at Chelsea this weekend.

He said: "As a manager, it is my first time at the top, I mean the very top level. This is a fantastic achievement for me and my staff, and it is a consequence of what we have done in the past.

"I'm not worried about the big stage. We will do everything straight away to get a big result at Chelsea and in the other games.

"Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - what can you say? I can't wait for it and I expect the same desire and determination from my players to make sure they do a good job.

"To go to Stamford Bridge and make a big impact, we always have to remember that the main protagonists are the players, but with my help and my staff's help, we can go there and get a result.

"It's exciting. We live for it. Life is short and if you have an exciting job, you're lucky."