Cattermole hungry for next season

Sunderland skipper Lee Cattermole is already looking forward to next season and a fresh start under Martin O'Neill.

The Black Cats spent the opening months of the current campaign struggling desperately in a vain attempt to find their feet, and the following three months fighting a concerted rearguard action to drag themselves away from the scrap at the foot of the Barclays Premier League table. On Sunday they will bring down the curtain on an eventful campaign when Manchester United head for the Stadium of Light knowing victory for Manchester City over QPR will secure the title. They will do so with midfielder Cattermole relieved in some ways to see the back of a difficult season, but relishing the prospect of his return to work in July. He said: "It's a tough game, isn't it? Every season is hard for different reasons. This season, we lost Steve Bruce, which was a shame, but it happens and we had to move on. We picked up quickly under Martin O'Neill and we have gone from strength to strength. "In the last couple of weeks, we have maybe not got our foot in front in games we felt we could have. But pre-season will be big for Sunderland this year and there will be a lot of time to prepare for the first game."