Sunderland's Dwight Yorke has no intention of sampling Championship football again - as he 'doesn't want to be going to Colchester'.

The 36-year-old former Manchester United star helped spearhead the Black Cats' stunning charge towards the Championship title last season as they headed back into the Premier League at the first attempt.

However, for all their good intentions and the investment of around £36million last summer, Roy Keane's men find themselves inside the drop zone with just 15 games to play.

Although their situation is far from dire, no-one at the Stadium of Light is under any illusion as to the task which lies ahead, and Yorke for one is adamant that relegation is not an option.

He said: "I just hope the lads realise it doesn't get much better than this.

"We all experienced last year and it was great. But you don't really want to be playing there - you don't really want to be going to Colchester.

"No disrespect to those teams, but you want to be going to Tottenham, Manchester United and those teams.

"The lads have got an opportunity to put it right. We have got 15 games to make sure we get it right, or else.

"They know what the consequences are, and even at my age - I am at the end of my career - and I don't want to go back there.

"These guys have got their futures ahead of them - and I am sure the manager doesn't want to go back there, I know that for a fact.

"That's the reality - we have got 15 games to try to put it right, and we all have to be in it to make sure we do that."