Jones eager to help the Black Cats bounce back to top flight
Billy Jones has said he is determined to play his part in a promotion campaign with Sunderland next season.
The 30-year-old has a year left on his current deal, but has committed his future to the Black Cats.
Jones, who arrived on a free transfer in the summer of 2014, overcame an earlyseason injury to become a regular under David Moyes.
Sunderland are set to lose a number of players this summer, but Jones hopes to stay and help the Black Cats back into the top tier.
He said: “I have a season left and when my time comes to an end at Sunderland, I want to be part of hopefully a promotion.
“I’ve got that one season to do that. Now I’ve got that one season to hopefully do that.
“Like I always say to family and friends, the day I retire from Sunderland I hope to come back and see them as a Premier League team and the top-10 team the club deserve and the fans deserve.”
Jones is likely to be one of a few of the current squad still at the club next season, with three loanees set to return to their parent clubs, eight players out of a contract and a number likely to be sold.
It makes the rebuild an enormous challenge, but Jones insists promotion is a realistic aim.
He said: “Yeah, it must be. As a group of players, we expect that from ourselves and I’m sure the club do as well.
“I’m sure the club are looking at that and will be working hard over the summer to try and make sure the club has got the best squad possible to try and do that within the Championship.”