Source: SKY_Sports
Bruce relishing challenge
Steve Bruce has insisted that it is the right time for him to take on the challenge of being Sunderland boss.
Bruce began his managerial career at Sheffield United in 1998 before having stints in charge of Huddersfield, Wigan, Crystal Palace and Birmingham.
He returned to Wigan in November 2007 and enjoyed considerable success, but has now taken the helm of a club with a huge fanbase and high expectations.
Bruce believes he is now ready for such a role and is confident he can help the Black Cats move forward.
"It doesn't frighten me," he said "I think it's the right time for me. I've done 10 years and in my early days it was very, very difficult when it wasn't quite what was written in the brochure and I struggled with that.
"But over the years I've been able to get a bit of experience and I think this is the right time for me to take on this challenge. I've done over 500 games now so it's the right time.
"I know how difficult it is, especially in the Premier League, and I do believe you become better with experience so that will stand me in good stead."
Bruce accepts that it will be a different experience to work in front of the packed stands of the Stadium of Light, but he does not plan to change his approach.
"You've got to manage people," he explained.
"You can have big stadiums and big support, but it's what goes over the white line for you and at Wigan, particularly before Christmas and we had to break the team up, we might not have had the biggest support or the biggest of stadiums or training grounds, but my God we had an unbelievably good team and that's what I want to create again."
Chairman Niall Quinn has expressed his delight at appointing Bruce, although he has revealed that he was not a big fan of his new colleague during their playing days.
"He used to get away with murder because he was a little centre-half," former Manchester City man Quinn said of ex-Manchester United defender Bruce.
"It would be fair to say that when you're a blue with a No.9 on your back and you're being marked with by a red in Manchester with a No.4 on his back, I would be lying if I said I respected him - I didn't like him.
"That's not a slight because he was so tough, he made life so awkward for you."
