Ex-Newcastle and Liverpool boss explains Sunderland hope as Cats search for Tony Mowbray's successor

Former Newcastle and Liverpool boss Graeme Souness says Sunderland are an enormous football club who should be in the Premier League.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Souness was reacting to the Black Cats’ third-round FA Cup draw against Newcastle - before Sunderland sacked head coach Tony Mowbray. 

"Sunderland are an enormous football club,” said Souness. “I always get asked the question ‘where does the support come from?’ It comes from all the villages in Durham. Newcastle is the bigger city and it’s easy to think where their support comes from. 

“It’s from all the little towns, villages around Sunderland. They are a well supported club. They should be in the Premier League. They would be an asset. They are going to get 50,000 people every week in the stadium. In that part of the world, if you have got two teams at it then it is only good for football.”

Sunderland parted company with Mowbray on Monday night and are searching for his replacement heading into back-to-back home games against West Brom and Leeds.

First-team coach Mike Dodds is set to take charge of Saturday’s match against West Brom as things stand, with the Black Cats set to play seven games in 24 days, ending with a home match against Preston on New Year’s Day.

Sunderland will then face Newcastle at the Stadium of Light on the weekend of January 5 to January 7, 2024, the first Wear-Tyne derby since March 2016 when the sides played out a 1-1 draw on Wearside.