'It's a real sign of the investment' - This is what has pleased Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson

The Sunderland head coach referred to the building work at the academy and improvements to the pitches in an interview with the club website.

Work has been ongoing to revamp the club’s Academy of Light training base and facilities at the Stadium of Light.

"It's a real sign of the investment," said Johnson.

"Sometimes fans won't see all that stuff, but it is part of the long game.

"One argument would be to not to spend anything on renovating the offices and throw it [the money] all into the squad, but actually it is about environment and creating that elite performance environment.

"A lot of money has been spent on the pitches at the Stadium of Light and the training ground and improving their quality, a lot of money has gone into the stadium to make it a better matchday experience for the fans.

"I'm on board with that because the beauty of this club is that the revenue goes back into the team and that's a great thing to see, and it isn't something that has always happened at my previous clubs.

"Although we have the short-term desire to do extremely well, we've also got the long-term plan in place to improve all facets of the club."

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