Thing for new Cats star Jim
Jimmy Dunne is already among familiar faces at Sunderland.
The Burnley defender sealed a loan deal to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday and trained alongside his teammates for the first time yesterday.
And among the pack of Black Cats ready to greet Dunne were two familiar faces from his days as a youngster at Manchester United.
Reece James and Donald Love were both at Old Trafford with the centre-back, and he believes their impact can help him settle in the North East.
“Reece James and Donald Love were two ex-Manchester United players who are a bit older than me,” he said.
“But when I was coming through, I do remember them and did train a bit with them.
“I’m familiar with them and I got to catch up with them a bit today.
“It’s good to have some familiar faces to make you feel more comfortable here.”
Also key to helping Dunne settle on Wearside has been manager Jack Ross - who has made an immediate impression on his latest recruit.
Ross moved swiftly to land the youngster after an impressive first half of the season on loan at Hearts, who were disappointed to see the Burnley defender depart after a fruitful spell.
But when weighing up his next move, Dunne was instantly convinced by Ross’ sales pitch.
“I spoke to the manager and he was really positive with me,” added the former Accrington man.
“He’s really positive with all the lads and it’s good to get some reassurance.
“He said I would come up here and enjoy it and that it would keep developing my football, so I had a real positive feeling about coming here.”
Saturday’s visit of Luton Town could hand Dunne an instant opportunity to impress at the Stadium of Light, although he will have to dislodge the partnership of Jack Baldwin and Tom Flanagan in order to secure a start.
And while he remains unsure whether he will earn a debut against the Hatters, Dunne insists he is ready to go if required. “I feel ready,” he admitted. “I feel like I could be thrown straight in there but I don’t know what the case will be.
“All I can do is prepare as if I am going to play, just in case. “That has to be my attitude between now and the end of the season.”
If Sunderland fans do get a glimpse of Dunne on Saturday afternoon, they will witness a defender who has earned rave reviews at all of his previous clubs.
His dominance in the air and technical ability have both been praised - and the Irishman has promised to bring effort in spades during his half-season stint on Wearside.
“I think all I could really promise is that I will give 100% effort and I will work,” he admitted.
“This is where I want to be, so I will give all I can for this club.”