NIALL QUINN has reassured Sunderland supporters he will remain as club chairman next season even if the Black Cats are relegated this Sunday.

But while Quinn’s announcement offered calm to an increasingly agitated Wearside public, striker Kenwyne Jones admitted his future at the club is in doubt if they fail to retain their Premier League status.

Quinn has been the key driving force in Sunderland’s renaissance over the last three seasons and his continued presence at the club provides stability and the prospect of continued investment. Since becoming chairman in 2006 Quinn has boosted the prestige and profile of a club who were previously in the doldrums.

Jones is among a number of Sunderland players likely to attract interest from Premier League outfits should the Wearsiders return to English football’s second tier.

To lose Jones would represent a severe blow to Sunderland’s pride, but Quinn’s departure would inflict a potentially fatal wound.

Quinn and majority shareholder Ellis Short watched Sunderland throw away the lead at Fratton Park on Monday night to ensure the Wearside club join North-East rivals Middlesbrough and Newcastle and Hull City in Sunday’s battle for survival.

“Ellis came to the Portsmouth game to lend his support,” noted Quinn. “He’s been a rock through this time and I hope we can do it for him. All being well, we will be able to make a strategic announcement soon.”

The chairman urged the players to register a “famous victory” against Chelsea on Sunday but, whatever the club’s fate this season, the confirmation of Quinn’s ongoing commitment has provided a timely boost.

“I don’t like thinking or talking negatively,” he insisted.

“If we do go down then it will be a huge, demoralising blow. There will be players who do not want to play in that division. But I’ll definitely be staying and we’ll be pushing to invest to get straight back up.

“But, the thing that has given me most encouragement in the last two matches is that we’ve arguably been the better team in both. And we have to concentrate on ourselves, not worry about others, and hopefully we can get a famous victory against Chelsea on Sunday.”

Despite scoring Sunderland’s opening goal in their 3- 1 defeat at Portsmouth, Jones has struggled for form since returning from injury last October.

Tottenham are believed to retain an interest in the player and, in the event of Sunderland being relegated, are expected to renew their pursuit of the £15m-rated forward.

Speaking shortly after Monday’s defeat that left Sunderland two points clear of the bottom three, the Trinidad and Tobago international was adamant he’d remain on Wearside if Sunderland avoid the drop, but was less certain about plying his trade in the Championship.

“I’ve committed myself to the club. If we stay up I am definitely going to be here. If we go down I don’t know what is going to happen. I can’t say what is going to happen. But, at the same time, I just have to work hard and do the best I can for Sunderland,” said Jones.

“It is more or less (about) going out trying to enjoy myself, trying to get some goals and keep the club up and see what happens after that. Tottenham have been linked with me quite strongly for month upon month. I can’t say that I know what is going on there or whether it is just paper talk or what. I can only focus on the job I have now.

“Hopefully I can at least do a job until the end of the season and look forward to next season. But first of all I have to do the job at hand.”

Ricky Sbragia’s side have won only one of their last 12 games but Quinn preferred to highlight the positive aspects of the Scot’s time in charge when he said: “It’s been one hell of a battle since Christmas.

Ricky came in and his first game was away at Manchester United. The players put on a fantastic defensive performance and were beaten in injury-time.

“Ricky’s next game was away as well, at Hull, and if we’d lost that were bottom of the league, in West Brom’s boots. But we won, Ricky got us going and some of our fans were singing about Europe at that time. But we knew then that it was all about getting over the line now. The players’ confidence dropped and we stopped scoring goals.”

Sunday would be an ideal time for Sbragia’s side to rediscover both.