Sunderland chief Steve Walton says the club is looking forward to next season under manager Steve Bruce.

Walton told safc.com: "Steve and his backroom staff have very much the same personality that we have, that Niall has engendered in the club, so it isn't going to be a huge change in terms of our ethos, but more like fine tuning.

"If we can get the right purchases in to help Steve along the way, I'm really looking forward to a great season next year.

"We don't take anything for granted, but if you look down at the Premier League you can reel off nine or ten clubs that we feel we'd have a good chance of outperforming next season."