Grant Leadbitter issues a rallying call and calls for positive thinking at Sunderland

The Black Cats have drawn their first two League One outings of the campaign, but will have a chance to bounce back when they travel to Accrington Stanley in the Carabao Cup.

But Leadbitter insists the squad aren’t getting too down about their run of results, with the vast majority of the season still to be played.

And ahead of the trip to the Wham Stadium, the newly-appointed skipper has called for unity – insisting that the only way the Black Cats can move forward is by everyone concerned remaining positive.

“We’re two games into the season, so we’re not getting carried away with the negativity that goes on,” said Leadbitter.

“I think, over a few years, there’s been a lot of that – but we want to try and get away from that.

“Everyone has got to be in it together – that goes for the players, the staff, the fans, and the media to a certain extent.

“We want to build this football club back to where it should be and there’s only one way to do that, and that’s by being positive all the time.

“When you get knocked down you have to get back up again and keep going.”

Leadbitter was handed the armband after the departure of George Honeyman, who took on the mantle from Lee Cattermole last summer.

And the former Middlesbrough man was quick to praise his successors at the Stadium of Light – and says he is keen to take learnings from the pair of them moving forward.

“I was a young captain, I’ve kind of earned the right and nothing changes really,” he added.

“George and Catts – when I came in January they were really good.

“Catts had been here for years and deserves all the recognition he gets because I know he stood tall in that dressing room at times.

“As football revolves you go on and you have to take different points from different people, and I’ll certainly do that.”