Sunderland players are desperate to play at the Stadium of Light says Jack Ross

In recent years, the Black Cats have buckled under the pressure when playing at home, where they won just one league game in 2017.

But, a new season has provided a fresh start, and Ross can’t wait for Saturday afternoon when Oxford United will make the trip to Wearside.

“We spoke before the season started about making it a difficult place for teams to come to because we understood all the things we have in our stadium,” said Ross.

“We have an incredibly passionate home fan base, and what we've managed to do in the two home games to date in the league is produce results and performances that have engaged them and enthused them.

“When you get those two together it's really powerful, because of that the players and staff are desperate to get back there on Saturday and replicate the performance last time we played at home.”

Sunderland have won both league games at the Stadium of Light so far this campaign, following Lynden Gooch’s last-minute winner against Charlton and the 3-0 win over Scunthorpe.

Ross is keen to build on the momentum his side have build up in recent weeks, and believes the fans can play a big part.

“I think the manner in which we won the Charlton game helped strengthen that mood and then the performance against Scunthope reflected the mood players feel when playing at home,” Ross added.

“I think they’re smart enough to understand if they can produce a performance with the attributes in it, the energy, the way they press, the supporters will get right behind them and we’ve seen that in the games.

"There’s no better feeling in a stadium when you have 30,000+ supporters behind you when you’re doing well. It’s a brilliant place to be as a player.”