Source: Telegraph
Sunderland to unveil Steve Bruce as new manager
Quinn praised the former Manchester United captain after over a week of protracted negotiations finally ended with the announcement that Bruce had left the manager's office at Wigan to take the helm at the Wearside club.[LNB]Sunderland have also confirmed that Bruce will be joined by the Wigan backroom team, comprising No 2 Eric Black, Nigel Spink and ex-Sunderland striker Keith Bertschin, prompting wholesale behind-the-scenes changes at both clubs. [LNB] Related ArticlesSunderland agree £3m deal for BruceSunderland chairman targets top 10 finishSunderland will be a force, says QuinnSport on televisionSunderland finalise Steve Bruce dealApplications flood in for Aberdeen vacancy 'Steve will bring a professionalism and strength of character to this club that will really help to bring us forward to where we all want to be,' Quinn said. [LNB] 'He knows more than anyone what football means to people of this region and I'm confident that he will be able to instill into our players exactly what it means to play for this football club.'[LNB]Bruce, 48, is due to be publicly paraded in a press conference at the club's academy this evening.[LNB]'I am genuinely excited by this fantastic opportunity,' Bruce said. 'This is a huge club with great tradition and great supporters and it's up to me now to produce a team that can match that.'[LNB]Quinn was attracted to Bruce by what a club statement described as his 'reputation for producing well organized teams and for unearthing and nurturing terrific talent'.[LNB]That is a quality that shone through at the JJB Stadium where he guided Wigan to 11th place in the Premier League whilst Sunderland were hovering above the relegation zone, with their top-flight status only guaranteed thanks to the shortcomings of other clubs such as neighbours Newcastle and Middlesbrough.[LNB]Bruce grew disillusioned with life at Wigan due to the club's need to sell its best players and at Sunderland he will have a £50 million transfer kitty at his disposal this summer thanks to the club's prospective new owner, the American billionaire Ellis Short, who has targeted a top-ten finished next season.[LNB]Born in Corbridge in Northumberland and raised on Tyneside, Bruce, who still regards himself as a Newcastle fan, has 11 years experience as a manager since becoming player-manager with Sheffield United in 1998. [LNB]He has since taken charge of seven Barclays Premier League campaigns, five with Birmingham City and two with Wigan, where he began a second spell in November 2007.[LNB]Having taken over at St Andrews in December 2001 he guided the Blues to promotion in his first full season and kept them in the top flight for four years. In 2007 Steve again led Birmingham into the top flight, his side only losing out on the title to Sunderland on the last day of the season. [LNB]
