Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says Steve Bruce has had the ideal grounding to be successful at Sunderland.
United face the Black Cats today and Ferguson said: "If you look at Steve's career, it is exactly what you need.
"He has experienced the other side. He has scrapped at Crystal Palace and Sheffield United and Wigan, and the job when he went back there was fantastic.
"He didn't have much money at Birmingham and that is not easy in the Premier League.
"But he has learned as he has gone along. Now he has the chance to spend some money and it looks very good."
