Craig Gardener thinks that Sunderland’s 4-0 win over Stoke City on the weekend will revitalise the team after a difficult start to the season.

The £5m summer signing played in a key role in the emphatic victory, netting a goal in the process, as Sunderland bagged their first win of the campaign.

Speaking to the Northern Echo, Gardner commented: “I think we’ve hinted at what we are capable of in some early games. But it was nice to bring it all together and produce a pretty good performance.”

He added: “It was always going to take a little bit of time. We’ve brought a lot of new players into the club this summer, and it’s never easy to hit the ground running straight away.”

The 24 year-old is keen to carry on this form on an independent scale as well, noting: “The club have put faith in me by paying a fair bit of money to sign me from Birmingham, and I don’t want to let them down. That means producing on the pitch and scoring goals.”