A SELF-EFFACING Gary Breen has dedicated Sunderland's promotion success to the scores of staff who were made redundant when the club crashed out of the Premiership.

The Black Cats skipper will lead his side into action at Upton Park tonight in search of the three points that will secure the Championship title.

But, while he will be delighted to lead the celebrations should Sunderland triumph over West Ham, the 31-year-old will also be mindful of the long and painful journey that has taken the club back to the top-flight.

Seventy members of staff - from tea ladies to ticket sellers - lost their jobs when the Wearsiders were relegated two seasons ago.

Most of those were also die-hard Sunderland fans and, while modern-day footballers are regularly portrayed as money-grabbing mercenaries, Breen has never lost sight of the responsibilities that accompany his exalted role.

"Everyone in the team has been fully aware of just how much this means to the community as a whole," said the Republic of Ireland international.

"When a club gets relegated, what people don't realise, and what players don't really say, is that people who have had no bearing on it lose their jobs. They weren't playing on the pitch, yet they're suddenly out of work.

"That's something the players are aware of. We know we've got a massive responsibility to people like that.

"That's why this is so special. People are wearing their colours with more pride and that's a fantastic thing for the lads. They've made a difference to people's lives and that's something they should be extremely proud of."

Sunderland's fans have suffered a double disappointment in recent years, with relegation from the top-flight being followed by yet another setback when Crystal Palace edged last May's play-off thriller.

Defeat to the Eagles undeniably hit hard, and the pain only got worse when the current season began with Palace in the Premiership.

"We felt it should have been us," admitted Breen. "But that just gave us an extra determination to get the club back to where it should be.

"Last season was heartbreaking, and the feeling was still there watching Crystal Palace play their first few games in the Premiership.

"But our determination only served to bring us together. The manager makes it obvious that we can't achieve anything unless we stick together.

"It sounds like a clich, but it's true of all successful teams. You see it with Chelsea and the way they all come out hugging each other when they've won.

"You also see it with teams that aren't so happy with each other and maybe aren't so successful as a result."

The unity of Sunderland's squad has been a key factor in their promotion-winning campaign. Fringe players like Andy Welsh and Danny and Neill Collins have been made to feel key components of the team and, consequently, have slotted in seamlessly at various stages of the season.

But, while solidarity has never been a problem, the early months of the campaign seemed to suggest Sunderland were still suffering a hangover from May's missed opportunity.

One win from the opening six games left the Black Cats struggling in 17th place. But, while the club's stuttering start caused much soul-searching at the time, perhaps it was an inevitable consequence of Mick McCarthy's grand plan.

"I don't think we were as concerned as the supporters were," revealed Breen. "I think we learned from the previous season. We had a fantastic run but, in the last five or six games, we ran out of steam.

"We probably sacrificed being at our fitness peak at the start of this season to make sure we weren't getting tired in the final few months. It worked because we won eight games on the trot at a crucial time.

"It was brave of the manager because this is a very demanding crowd and our position after the first six games looked quite bleak.

"But it was all part of the game plan and the manager should take a lot of the credit for that. The players did well too. A lot of them were young and inexperienced and they were probably wondering why we were down there."

The recovery will be complete if Sunderland clinch the title at Breen's former stamping ground tonight.

The defender made 18 appearances during an ill-fated stint at Upton Park, but insists revenge will not be on his mind when he returns to West Ham.

"Winning the league would be special in itself," he said. "Winning it at West Ham wouldn't be any better than winning it at any other ground.

"I know people might say 'He played there', but it makes no difference to me. I'm focused solely on Sunderland and I would be very humbled if I was to lift the trophy next weekend."

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