Exclusive – Summerbee: Sunderland must kick on after great escape

Sunderland have performed the great escape in practically avoiding relegation and can now begin rebuilding, according to former midfielder Nicky Summerbee.

The Black Cats look dead and buried a few weeks ago but a remarkable return to form has seen the north east side draw 2-2 at Manchester City, beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, thrash Cardiff 4-0 and then see off Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0.

With such a difficult run in, few gave Gus Poyet's chance of staying up but they will be mathematically safe if Chelsea beat Norwich today.

"The only word I can say is wow. I'll hold my hand up in the air and say I thought they were gone," Summerbee told Extra Time.

"They didn't look like they were playing as a team, they weren't together and they weren't scoring goals. I was dying for Connor Wickham to step up, where's he been all season?

"All of a sudden now he's started hitting form and they're getting some results. I don't think anybody would have given them a chance."

And Summerbee, who spent four years at the Stadium of Light, believes avoiding relegation could finally help the club find some much needed stability.

"If they stay up this could be the turning point for the club to get that bit of belief and let Gus Poyet bring some of his own players in. This is a great escape. I thought they had no chance but they've proved me wrong and they've proved a lot of fans wrong.

"The job is not done yet but they have got this team spirit together and what they have done there is absolutely phenomenal."