Sunderland are set to play in the Europa League next season...

Chris Waddle has suggested that Sunderland and their supporters will have plenty of fun in Europe next season, but has insisted that the club still need to prioritise stabilising their status as a Premier League outfit over the coming year.

The Black Cats are set to play in the Europa League next term after dramatically sealing their qualification with a final day victory over Chelsea last month, and their upcoming continental adventure has inspired plenty of excitement on Wearside.

But while Waddle has urged players and fans alike to embrace the new experiences that are set to come their way, he has also emphasised just how important it is for Sunderland to focus on having another productive domestic campaign as well.

What has Chris Waddle said about Sunderland’s European campaign?

Reflecting on the scale of the Black Cats’ achievement during an exclusive interview with The Echo, courtesy of NewBettingOffers.co.uk, Waddle said: “The Premier League, let's be honest, everyone goes into the Premier League now and we all expect them to get relegated. Whoever comes up - Hull City, Coventry City, Ipswich Town - we all think they're favourites to get relegated.

“Sunderland were on that list going up, but they were brave. They spent a lot on players, which was surprising, but it was a gamble which has paid off. They've united, they've got together, they've worked hard. They've obviously got a good manager there, and the results show that they weren't scared of anybody else. They went out and played their style, they played their football, they did what they needed to do.”

Looking ahead to next season, and what a European schedule could mean for his former club, the pundit continued: “Let's be honest, to get into the Europa League, the hard work starts now. They need another four or five players. We all know teams who get into the Europa League, play Thursday nights, don't get great results on the weekend a lot of them. I know Aston Villa have finished in the Champions League, but Aston Villa have got a massive squad, and we all knew Villa would do well.

“But you look at [Crystal] Palace, they're in the bottom seven. Teams who normally play Thursdays and Sundays, and then maybe Wednesdays again, it catches up with you. So you need a healthy squad.”

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He added: “The priority - and I'm sure the owners will be saying this to the manager and the players - is the Premier League, but let's have a bit of fun with this European tour. I'm sure the fans will love it. The group stage, they'll be in wherever - they'll be travelling to Germany, Spain, Italy, France, wherever... Slovenia, Slovakia, anywhere. So they're going to have a lot of fun on the road. I'm sure the fans are really looking forward to it. But the one thing is that the manager's got to keep an eye on them, to say the Premier League is where the bread and butter is at, and that's allowed them to be in the position they are.”

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