Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has defended the club's majority shareholder Ellis Short after an attack from former manager Roy Keane over the weekend.

"Without Ellis coming on board we would not have any of these players," Quinn said. "It's great that they are here, but the fact of the matter is that Ellis was a vital part of the club's growth at a critical juncture and naturally myself and the board are hopeful that the support will continue. I can say unequivocally, without Ellis Short, we would not be in the position we are today."

Meanwhile, Black Cats boss Ricky Sbragia shrugged off Keane's rant against him in the same interview.

"He has done fantastic for Sunderland," Sbragia said. "They were bottom of the Championship and he has taken them up and then elected to leave the club. I worked for him for two years and he was good. He was a good manager and he knew what he wanted. It was his decision to say, 'That's it, I've had enough. I want a break, I need to spend time with my family'."