SUNDERLAND defender Anton Ferdinand does not believe the club can regard themselves as the region’s top dogs until they dominate Wear-Tyne rivalries for the next four to five years.

His view may not chime with the majority of Sunderland supporters who would consider that the club have earned the right to be regarded as the premier force in North-East football this season after living in the shadow of the Magpies’ and Middlesbrough for much of the preceding 15 years.

Ferdinand admitted to having mixed feelings after Newcastle’s return to the Premier League was confirmed and he offered Sunderland’s bitterest rivals only a tentative welcome back into the big time.

He revealed that he would have been happy to see the Tynesiders spend at least one more year in the division below Sunderland but confirmed that he was relishing the prospect of renewing derby hostilities next season.

Asked if Sunderland could regard themselves as the region’s top dogs, Ferdinand replied: “I wouldn’t say so yet.

Yes, we’ve been in the Premier League this year and they haven’t. And if we finish above them in the Premier League for the next couple of seasons then I would say that we’ve taken that mantle.

“But it would be stupid and naive of me to say we’ve taken that mantle now, when Newcastle have only been in the Championship for one season and we’ve been in the Premier League for three years and coming up to four. If I say that, people will look at it and say that I am just saying it for the fans.

“If, in four or five years we are consistently finishing higher than them then yes, we will have definitely taken over.

“As a Sunderland player, I welcome them back because the derby is one of the best games I have ever played in and I’d like to play in many more of them. But, from a Sunderland fans point of view, probably seeing Newcastle in the Championship wouldn’t have been too bad either!

“That would have given Sunderland the bragging rights for another season and shown Newcastle what it is like to be a club that goes up and down, up and down.”

Ferdinand almost scored his first goal in Sunderland colours on Saturday but his second half strike was ruled out by referee Lee Mason. He spotted a foul on Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Last August Ferdinand revealed that he was planning to make a special tribute to his hero Michael Jackson when he grabbed his debut strike but his Stadium of Light moondance was cut short when team-mates informed him the man in black had ruled out his calm finish.

“The ball just broke to me and I picked my spot early and slotted it home. I think any striker would have been proud of that finish!

“I don’t get into that position often so I tried to show composure to stick it away.

“If you see the look on my face, I don’t know what to do.

Kieran (Richardson) was in my ear saying ‘do the Michael Jackson, do the Michael Jackson.’ He probably knew the goal had been disallowed and was giggling to himself.

“I was doing the Michael Jackson celebration and then when I turned round, the goal had been disallowed and I was gutted. If it could happen to anyone, it would happen to me.”