Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill admits he's taking French lessons so he can communicate better with Stephane Sessegnon.

The winger has been outstanding for O'Neill since his appointment.

He said: "Sess has been a delight to work with since I arrived and he's had a tremendous impact on the pitch, he's been a real gem.

"Off the pitch, he's very quiet. His English is better than my French but to help, I've dug out the dictionary from my old French O-level.

"I check a couple of words before writing them down to show him. One said 'you have not paid your fine!'"