Sunderland AFC news round-up: Larsson & Lescott speak ahead of Saints visit, Dickman discusses new signing

Seb Larsson - relegation rivals will fear us...

One of Sunderland's longest and best servants has given a brilliantly bullish interview to the Daily Telegraph.

You can read it in full here. Here's some of the best quotes...

"I think there are six or seven teams involved in the relegation battle now," said Larsson, who side are in a basement battle with last season's champions Leicester City, Middlesbrough, Swansea City, Hull City and Palace.

"I suspect, when those teams look at the table and see Sunderland's name, they will be worried. "They know what we have done before, they know we have got out of worse positions and they know what we are capable of doing when it comes to crunch time. We believe we will survive and I think that should scare the teams around us a little bit."

Lescott doesn't think he'll have to draw on Aston Villa nightmare

Joleon Lescott thinks the experience of the Premier League in the Sunderland squad means he won't have to draw on his relegation experience with Aston Villa.

Lescott told the Echo: "It’s not just relegation battle experience, it is Premier League experience. “I’m yet to meet a foreign player who doesn’t say that this is the most physically demanding league they have played in, so the more experience of that you have, the better.”

"It is a big challenge and the stakes are the same, but the lads have been in this situation before so hopefully I won’t need to draw on my experiences last season – but if need be, I will do so.

“The lads know what needs to happen, they know we have to fight to the end. “We’ve been here before, but it is not going to be easy.

Dickman discusses his new signing

There were no deadline day additions for Sunderland but the next day the U23's did make an interesting addition, with New Zealand youngster Sam Brotherton arriving.

His new boss has had this to say: "“He’s a lovely lad with a great personality so we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the club and working with him,

“I’ve seen bits of him before and he will add some international experience to the group, but first and foremost we have to help him adapt to the daily training and how we do things.

"He’s got to settle and we’ve got to make him comfortable, so although we want him to play it may take him a little while to bed into English football.

“It would be harsh to judge him quickly so it’s important he uses the remainder of the season adapt to the tempo and our way of playing, but he’s a good lad and we want him to contribute.”