Darren Ward is determined to establish himself as Sunderland's outright No1 for the new Premiership campaign.

The Black Cats have been linked with moves for Bolton shotstopper Jussi Jaaskelainen and Hearts' Craig Gordon over the summer.

Wales international Ward, however, says he will not give up his place without a fight.

He said: "To use the manager's expression, we have to embrace it as a challenge and rise to the occasion. If the manager decides to make new signings, and that is his job, then it is a case of getting your head down and trying to maintain the position of playing regularly. These are exciting times at Sunderland and any new faces will all be for the good of the club.

"We all want to improve and be as successful as we possibly can.

"The manager wants to explore what is available and it is his job to do that, so it can only benefit us."