Anthony Patterson picks his own favourite moment and reflects on Sunderland's 'really impressive' campaign

Patterson has been one of a number of youngsters who have enjoyed a hugely successful first campaign at the level, and the 22-year-old is relishing the prospect of more final-day drama as the Black Cats play out a must-win game in front of almost 6,000 of their own travelling fans.

"It's gone so much better than anyone could have hoped," Patterson reflected.

"If you look over the course of the season, the injuries we've had, playing with no proper centre-halves at the minute, Rossco has missed the majority of the season, yet we are still in with a chance going into the last day which is really impressive.

"I don't think anyone could have imagined last summer that we'd be in this situation.

"I think consolidation was what was on everyone's mind, even if they didn't say it out loud, but we've smashed that and hopefully we can do enough to get in the top six.

"It's going to be some finish. We know what we need to do - we just have to win and hope that everything else takes care of itself.

"We can't do anything about Coventry and Millwall and Blackburn and West Brom, we just have to do our bit, win at Preston and hope that the other things fall into place.

"We have to do our job and then when the full-time whistle goes we can look at the other results and see if we've made it."

Patterson has enjoyed an excellent campaign, which included a first call-up to the England youth set up, and has picked out his crucial penalty save against QPR as his own personal highlight.

He has also played his part on some of the team' best goals, twice scoring from their own goal kicks against Huddersfield and Reading.

"I think probably my penalty save at QPR in February [is my highlight]," he said.

"That was some feeling - I was buzzing!

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"We were winning 1-0 and after that penalty save we went on to score another couple of goals and win the game quite comfortably in the end. There have been so many highlights really.

"As for the team, we've scored so many great team goals, playing good football.

"The team has got a really good identity, we like to get the ball down and pass it about - that's the kind of players we have, clever, technical players.

"When we get the ball to them, they make things happen. They want to play and they want to excite the fans and make sure they are enjoying it as much as we are."Patterson is confident that however Monday goes, the building blocks for more excitement are in place: "It's a good foundation to build on and it will stand us in good stead, whatever happens with the play-offs.

"We have Amad and Joe Gelhardt here on loan and they have been great for us but it's not as though we are going to see five loan players leave.

"The young players we have here will only get better the more games they play, and they will all have more experience next season."