How Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is viewed by players and agents

There has been a lot said about Sunderland's sporting director Kristjaan Speakman since he was handed the keys at the Academy of Light and it is hard to deny that the club is now in a far better place than it was.

But how is the former Birmingham City man viewed in football? Here, we take a look:

"Kristjaan Speakman was great..." - Patrick Roberts' agent

Patrick Roberts is represented by his agent brother Adam Roberts, who was full of praise for Speakman in the pair's dealings with Sunderland's sporting director when the player joined the Black Cats.

“There’s a lot of variables when you sign: the manager, the club, what the sporting director says," Adam Roberts told The Echo exclusively in January. "Kristjaan Speakman was great, he had a belief in Patrick. He spoke about him well. It was about having a manager who wanted him and to be fair to Lee, he definitely gave that impression.

“I don’t know what has gone on in the past at Sunderland but from our experience with them, all promises have been kept. Speaking to the club and to Kristjaan Speakman has been quality.

"He has said it straight and has been honest. We believe in the project they have and what he wants for Patrick. That played a huge role in him joining. At the moment it all seems like it is a massive buzz. They are playing good football in front of huge attendances. You can’t complain, really, can you?”

"He has done a really good job..." - Ex-Sunderland striker

Ex-Sunderland striker Mitchell Curry has been afforded the opportunity to train at Sunderland despite being a free agent and praised Speakman for his work at the Academy of Light.

“A lot of people won’t know this but when I came back from Miami, I reached out to Kristjaan Speakman and Proc (first-team coach Michael Proctor) asking if I could come in and train for a few weeks," Curry told The Echo exclusively. "I was told that it was no problem and it ended up being for three months.

“They were unbelievable and when I came back from Hartford I asked again and Kristjaan agreed again, which he totally didn’t have to do and I ended up staying for even longer. I know I played for Sunderland for a short amount of time, but to let me roam around the building, train, use the gym and have food. I will always be so grateful for that because otherwise I would have just been out down the local park but they’ve given me a professional environment.

“I have seen the club under all different managers. I was a player under Phil Parkinson and Lee Johnson and then I’ve seen what the club has been like with Alex Neil, Mogga (Tony Mowbray) and Speakman.

“The way it is run now seems way better than it was, there seems to be so much clarity around everything. I would say honest and professional. The food has got better and all the little things add up to make a big difference. They are renovating the gym which is unbelievable and there’s more staff. It seems like it has got a lot better in a short space of time.

“Kristjaan gets a bit of stick from fans sometimes but I think he has done a really good job behind-the-scenes from what I have seen when I’ve dipped my toe in.”