AFTER spending three months sidelined through injury, Jason McAteer has been able to assess the potential of Sunderland's youthful squad.

As he prepares for today's visit of Wimbledon, the Black Cats skipper insists the future is bright.

Last week's defeat by West Ham United in McAteer's comeback outing saw Sunderland drop out of the play-off places in Division One.

The fact that they held that position after a summer in which 16 senior players departed - including star names like Kevin Phillips and Claudio Reyna - is testament to a growing team spirit built under the guidance of Mick McCarthy.

But McAteer, who also worked under Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson, spent a large share of his 12-year career in the Premiership and he knows that is the place to be playing football.

The 32-year-old is convinced the crop of young players at McCarthy's disposal will enjoy more good than bad times.

McAteer said: "You wake up one morning and everyone has gone - that was the feeling in the summer. All of a sudden, the kids find themselves having to become men.

"These kids haven't been used to playing first team football. If I go through the team I can't think of many who have played a full season.

"There are times when they are going to get down, times when it isn't going to be going right. When they aren't playing well, they perhaps suffer more. They need little pick-me-ups.

"Being made club captain has made me realise that there is a lot happening away from the football side. You do have to pick them up, there are tears sometimes. You have to put your arm them.

"But we have lots of talent here. Ricky Sbragia and Jocky Scott worked hard behind the scenes when it was all going wrong.

"Players have come through under Ricky, who is now at Manchester United, and Jocky is carrying that on. Thanks to them, the gaffer has been able to mould a team.

"There's plenty of young talent. The First Division isn't where I want to be playing my football.

"I'm at a football club where there are a lot of young kids under me. I can give them advice and they can benefit from that. I can help them learn."

Sunderland's fall from the top six in Division One has stemmed from their shortcomings in front of goal, with Marcus Stewart and Kevin Kyle struggling to regain their early season form.

But McCarthy's men are only two points adrift of one of those places and McAteer believes a few wise heads would seriously push them towards becoming genuine promotion challengers.

"I think the only thing we have been missing lately is a bit of experience. At times you have to understand how to handle certain situations in football," he said.

"Last Saturday at West Ham was a prime example of that. The game changed and, with the inexperience we have in our team, we didn't really know how to handle it.

"We didn't handle it very well and, as a result, we were left very disappointed. We didn't have the knowledge we needed to deal with the situation.

"Trying to be more positive, I'm fit again now and Gary Breen is almost there. Phil Babb is fit and ready to play so we have experience coming back into the team."

McAteer knows more than most about picking up a word of encouragement from an older head - when he was a promising teenager at Bolton he was tipped to have a huge future in the game.

A multi-million switch to Liverpool in 1995 played a huge part in his development, although injuries hampered his progress, as they did again when he moved to Blackburn.

He is using those days at his former clubs to help steer Sunderland's younger generation through their early days as professionals.

"Ten years on it has all gone and I'm one of the experienced professionals now," said the Republic of Ireland international. "It's about different stages of your life.

"Suddenly there are things you don't want to do any more and other things you do want to do. I have been given a responsibility here as club captain.

"I'm enjoying that responsibility. I'm enjoying the fact that, in this team, my tag is that of the experienced professional.

"At Bolton, we had experienced people like Tony Philliskirk. Then Bruce Rioch came in and we had Andy Walker and John McGinlay.

"When I was 24 I went to Liverpool and it was like a Who's Who? You had players like John Barnes, Ian Rush and Jan Molby. They were all my heroes.

"I have been lucky. I have had a fantastic career, I had the likes of these people showing me the way. It was the same with Ireland.

"The lads here have got me - unfortunately. They will look back at it and see it as a learning curve."

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