Having secured their place in The Premier League for next season, chairman Niall Quinn is now looking to take Sunderland on the next step of their journey towards becoming an established top flight force.
Sunderland's ambitions under the Drumaville consortium run much deeper than mere survival though and Quinn will not let the club rest on their laurels as they target further progress next season.
"I'm absolutely thrilled, "Quinn told the clubs official website.
"For anyone around the world who holds this club close to their heart, Saturday was a big day.
"It means we can kick on and drive forward. It's a far bigger prize than getting into The Premier League, staying there gives you a chance to build.
"Who knows how far this journey is going to go? I'm just thrilled that we have another shot at it next year and we have the steel to get better and better." Keane has suggested he will have to be convinced of the club's ambition before signing a new contract on Wearside and Quinn has responded by claiming that Sunderland should now be targeting a top ten finish next season.
"If you were to break it down, step one was to get the club out of The Championship and rebuild the connections with the fans.
"Step two is to stay in The Premier League, consolidate and try to kick on, we've completed most of that now.
"Step three is to challenge those clubs around midtable - Spurs, Man City, West Ham - get in there among them.
"Who knows, you might go a step further and challenge the Aston Villas, Blackburns and Portsmouths.
"But we've got to do it on good, strong foundations, not on quicksand where it all falls away."
