Sunderland midfielder Claudio Reyna has promised a swift return to the Premiership after admitting that the fight against relegation is over. The 29-year-old United States skipper was on Wearside on Saturday as he continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery to see the Black Cats restore some of their battered pride with a rousing display against high-flying Chelsea in which they fell only just short.
While survival remains a mathematical possibility, Reyna knows that the reality is that Mick McCarthy's men will be playing Division One football next season and is ready to roll up his sleeves. He said: "I'm all set for the challenge no matter what happens. The reality is we're going down, so we have to regroup and not sulk as a club. We have to be ready for next season. If we're in the First Division, it'll be a gruelling campaign, but with the players we have here and with our fans, there's no reason why we shouldn't spring back."
Reyna met McCarthy for the first time at the weekend and having watched the game from the stands, was delighted by what he saw as the spirit which has characterised Sunderland in recent years returned. "I had not seen us play for three months," he said. "I was curious to see how we'd do, and it was a fantastic performance. We were the better side and should have beaten Chelsea. That will bode well for the future."
Reyna will now spend the next six weeks working at the Academy of Light to complete his recovery from an injury sustained during the second game of Howard Wilkinson's ill-fated reign at Bolton on October 28 last year. And he will allow himself no summer break by working on his fitness to ensure he is ready for the big kick-off, wherever that may take he and his team-mates.
Speaking to the club's official website, www.safc.com, he added: "Everything is going to plan as far as my injury is concerned and I'm into the last phase of rehab. I'm at the stage where I'm ready to put my boots on and do a bit outside on the field. It's about getting my confidence back with the ball now. I'll be here until the end of the season, then I'll work through the summer in the States. There'll be no time off in the summer - I need to build my fitness for pre-season."
Filed by Shane Murray
