DAVID MOYES has been backed to follow up his first win as Sunderland manager by proving he is the right man for the job after a difficult start to his reign at the Stadium of Light.

Steven Pienaar, the experienced midfielder handed a one-year deal on Wearside after a short trial, was a first starter for the Black Cats in Wednesday night’s 1-0 EFL Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town.

And while the team’s performance was far from ideal, Pienaar’s introduction to the midfield coincided with Sunderland’s first competitive win under Moyes since he took over from Sam Allardyce.

Now, after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Middlesbrough, he will lead Sunderland back into Premier League action when he takes the team to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Pienaar believes Moyes is the man to bring brighter times to the club after years of struggle, even if he knows his former Everton boss has had a difficult start.

"He's definitely the man to get it right,” said Pienaar. “When he was at Everton he tended to have a slow start, but finished well and you can't forget he's only come into Sunderland in the middle of pre-season.

“He's still getting used to the players and has got a lot of young ones here, but he will definitely build a solid foundation. He's definitely a safe pair of hands.

"The manager wants to instil confidence in the players, and he wants the players to just go out and enjoy their football. At the moment there are a lot of young players so it will be hard, it might even be a hard season but we will make progress.”

Moyes brought Pienaar to England in 2008 from Borussia Dortmund and he has spent the majority of that time working under him, despite a season with Tottenham.

The 34-year-old was also re-signed by the Scot so he was delighted when he took over at Sunderland, where he was quick to make contact in the hope of staying in England.

Pienaar, who left Everton in the summer, said: "When I was back home in South Africa, I thought that could be it for me in the Premier League.

“When the opportunity for me came up to come back that was great and exciting, and I looked forward to it.

“I didn't play a lot of games last season, so for me it's about getting back to that level I know that I can play at. That just comes with playing games.

"I was back in South Africa and had a few offers, I was just waiting I didn't want to jump, I worked on my fitness just in case waiting for that opportunity.

“We made the call (agent) as soon as the manager got the job here and asked if I could come and train to keep fit. I've taken it from there.”

But Pienaar, aware of the discussions Sunderland are having aimed at strengthening the squad before the transfer window closes, wants to help Moyes succeed – and thinks the young guns at the club can help too.

"It feels quite strange playing with a player who is half my age (Joel Asoro),” said Pienaar, after playing with the 17-year-old on Wednesday.

“I feel like a dad to some of them and I'm one of the senior players even though I'm new. There are a lot of young players in the team.

“For me it's a new environment so I'm still getting used to the players. They're quite a friendly bunch so it's helped me to settle in.

“Since the end of last season, when this club only just avoided relegation in the last few games, we have to try to push away from that mentality (of just wanting to avoid relegation) and kick on. That's a big problem here at the moment.”