JOHN O’SHEA feels Simon Grayson’s extensive experience of the Championship will be crucial to Sunderland’s hopes of securing an immediate return to the Premier League.

Grayson has led four different clubs to promotion from League One to the second tier, and spent last season guiding an unheralded Preston team to a top-half finish in the Championship.

He is currently preparing Sunderland for life in the Football League, with the club’s latest pre-season friendly taking them to Bradford City this afternoon.

O’Shea turned down a number of offers in order to sign a new one-year deal with the Black Cats this summer, and is hoping Grayson’s input will help the club turn things around after last season’s traumatic relegation.

“When you face the disappointment of a relegation, it is important you get everyone focused as quickly as possible on the main targets for this season,” said O’Shea. “That is obviously to bounce back as quickly as possible to get the club back up with the big boys in the Premier League.

“We know that the Championship is so competitive. We have to be ready for that. That’s what the manager is trying to stress to us because he has had that experience there, and he knows what you need to be successful in it. We have to listen to that, and take it on board as quickly as possible.”

O’Shea was an integral part of the squad that was relegated last season, but the veteran centre-half will be urging those who played alongside not to spend too long feeling sorry for themselves.

Clearly, there are lessons to be learned from last season’s struggles, but O’Shea is keen to draw a line under the failings of the past and move on.

“The manager has spoken about the positive attitude that is going to be needed by the group,” he said. “We’re going to have to be together, to fight for each other, and to make sure that the demands are on us to work as hard as we possibly can, both with the ball and without the ball.”