As we watched the likes of Birmingham, Blackpool and West Ham drop out of England’s top tier of football and saw Manchester United lift the Premier League trophy, with the sides below competing for European places, it was easy to turn a blind eye to Sunderland’s alarming change in fortune at the tail end of last season.

The Black Cats finished the season in a credible tenth place, but it could have been so much better for Steve Bruce’s men if the majority of his squad had not fallen to the wayside with serious injuries heading into the important final months of the campaign.

Son of one of the greatest football managers of all time, Darren Ferguson has big boots to fill.

The Peterborough United boss rarely smiles and gives little away to the media, and his short managerial career has already taken more twists and turns than your average football boss.