ROBBIN RUITER is determined to reclaim Sunderland’s goalkeeping spot, and prove he is a better shot-stopper than appeared to be the case last season.

Ruiter suffered a difficult first season as a Sunderland player, with a succession of error-strewn displays contributing to the club’s relegation to League One.

To compound his misery, a broken finger brought his campaign to a premature end, and forced him to watch on from the sidelines as the Black Cats’ demotion was confirmed.

He is back to full fitness now though, playing the first 60 minutes of Tuesday’s friendly defeat at Darlington, and while summer signing Jon McLaughlin will expect to start the season as number one, Ruiter is determined to do all he can to get his career back on track.

“I was really unlucky last year with injury,” said the Dutchman, who signed a two-year deal last summer. “I always said to everybody that it is an honour and a big challenge for me to play at Sunderland.

“I have had some good moments and some less good moments last season. I think I can do way better than I showed last season and I want to show everybody what kind of goalkeeper I am.

“For me, the challenge is to play every week and to show myself in a positive way and hopefully we can do it as a whole team, play at the top of the league. We all have that goal, to get back to the Championship as soon as possible.”

Ruiter has watched six new players arrive already this summer, with further signings anticipated once two or three of Sunderland’s highest earners leave.

There has also been a change of ownership and the appointment of Jack Ross as manager, and Ruiter admits the last few months have been something of a whirlwind.

“Of course it’s a bit strange,” he said. “Normally, during the summer, there will always be changes at a club, always, it doesn't matter what team, what club, there is always changes.

“Sometimes the manager, or players coming in and out, but this year at Sunderland there has been a lot of changes with the new owner and manager, a different league.

“You can be really negative about everything, but we need to move forward now and take the positives. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes in the past, look forward and make it a good season. That is the most important thing. You can't make any difference to the past, but we can to the future.”