Marc McNulty on thriving under pressure, why he chose Sunderland and reveals the two former players who offered advice

The Black Cats beat Championship side Charlton Athletic to land the striker on a season-long loan deal - and he can’t wait to get started.

McNulty revealed the deal has been in the pipeline for a week but he was determined to join the Black Cats after seeking advice from ex-Sunderland players John O’Shea and David Meyler.

“It is an honour to play for such a big club," he said. “It’s not gone as quick as I’d have liked but it’s just nice to get it done.

“I’m here at the start of the season and I should get to know the boys well. They will get to know how I play and hopefully that will bring out the best in me.

“One of the main reasons I chose to come to Sunderland was the expectations of the fans, the people at the club and the manager.

“I’ve been at clubs like Sheffield United, Portsmouth and Coventry City, there are high expectations because they want you win every game

“They think you should be in the league above and that you should be getting promoted, so the reason I wanted to come to Sunderland is because everyone knows the club at minimum should be in the Championship.

“I’m here to get promoted - that’s the main thing.”

McNulty will be competing against Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke – pressure he welcomes.

He told the club website: “You never want to be in your comfort zone, we have two great strikers already at the club, it makes you want to work harder and to show the manager I should be starting.”

As revealed by Lee Bowyer, McNulty turned down a move to Charlton.

He added: “I had offers from clubs at a higher level, but when Sunderland come calling, it’s a no brainer, so as soon as I knew the offer was on the table, I just wanted to get the deal done.”

The 26-year-old Scotland international has an impressive career record of 110 goals in 303 club matches.

He could feature against Heerenveen Saturday (KO 7pm).