JACK ROSS thinks the Old Firm are the only teams north of the border that can compare with Sunderland – and that is why he will be looking at Celtic for inspiration as he looks to turn things around on Wearside.

Ross has already been in touch with Celtic to discuss the possibility of signing winger Lewis Morgan on loan, having watched him shine under his watch at St Mirren last season.

The Bhoys’ manager Brendan Rodgers, a friend of the new Black Cats boss, wants to wait until the middle of next month before deciding if Morgan can head to the North-East temporarily.

The 21-year-old is one of a number of players from Scotland under consideration by Ross, as he looks to build a squad capable of delivering promotion from League One next season.

And having got to experience what it is like at Sunderland since ending his family holiday last week, he thinks the foundations in place at the Stadium of Light and Academy of Light training complex deserve greater performances and results on the pitch.

Ross said: "In terms of Sunderland's infrastructure I'd say that only the Old Firm clubs are comparable in Scotland.

“There are a lot of good things about the Scottish game and sometimes when you're not involved in it you don't quite understand that.

“By the same token, when you're not inside this club you don't quite get the magnitude of it. From the Stadium to the training facility, there's only the Old Firm in Scotland could compete with that.

“That's what's so hugely exciting about it. Maybe people from Scotland won't understand the allure of this job. You're coming into a real monster of a club but if you get it right it can be tremendously enjoyable.”

Ross is already having to field plenty of calls about his players in demand from other clubs. Paddy McNair is the leading one, with Sunderland rejecting a number of offers for his services so far including from Brighton.

It is expected that Brighton at least will return with a £5m offer, although Sunderland are not looking to sell a player they feel could be the best in League One so the price could continue to soar with Derby, Norwich, Stoke and Middlesbrough also credited with an interest.

There is also plenty of interest in other players, although Ross is having to work on potential signings for himself with less than a month remaining until pre-season training begins.

The 41-year-old could easily have been looking for targets for Ipswich, having had discussions with the Tractor Boys before his decision to move to Wearside when it looked like he would be leaving St Mirren.

He said: "I don't think it was a case of choosing one over the other, it was probably not ideal for me that it became public knowledge that Ipswich had approached St Mirren and asked for permission to speak to me.

“I spoke to Marcus (Evans, Ipswich owner) and really enjoyed the discussions I had with him but during that period this opportunity presented itself.

“The one thing Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven were was relentless in their belief that I was a good fit for them. They were really keen for me to buy into what they wanted to do. That was part of the appeal, plus the appeal of this club as a whole and the position it now finds itself in.

"There were probably opportunities before the summer where I could have left St Mirren but I never really felt as if they were the right ones for me. This certainly does and I'm excited by it.”