FOR six years Niall Quinn went about transforming Sunderland from Championship strugglers in to an established Premier League club. Sixteen months on from leaving his beloved club firmly in the hands of somebody else, the Irishman is happy for Ellis Short to rip up all his good work – provided it works.

Since Quinn vacated his role as director of international development in February last year, Short has slowly gone about reshaping the way Sunderland do things.

It was not so much the dismissal of Martin O'Neill – the last manager Quinn had a major say in appointing after working with Roy Keane, Ricky Sbragia and Steve Bruce – that has registered with Quinn, more the changes going on behind-the-scenes.

There has been significant alterations made to the club's scouting system, physio department and backroom team – and this summer will see massive tinkering to squad personnel.

But Quinn, responsible for leading a much-needed takeover of the club in 2006 with the Drumaville Consortium and integral to persuading Short to bring his money on board, is not overly concerned to see the changes.

“I keep meeting people who used to work at the club, they have gone a different way,” said Quinn. “I had my turn, I had my time and I was allowed to do what I felt was appropriate. That is what seems to be happening now.

“I don't know Paolo's back up team, the people he works with. There's lot of speculation about people coming and going. I just hope it settles and it goes well for him. You look at Newcastle, the trouble there, I just hope football settles down and it's not about all the off the field matters any more.”

He added: “There's a few people I had there who have left. They were a bit out of place and they have been moved on. I don't have that central feeling I had before Paolo (Di Canio) was appointed, when Martin was there with his people.

“But at the same time, nobody should ever knock what Ellis Short has done for the club because he has kept this club in the higher echelons of football. His support has ultimately kept the club where it is over the last few years.”

Di Canio's arrival on April 1 shocked Sunderland, but he went about claiming enough points in his eight matches in charge to keep the club in the Premier League.

In doing so there has now been moves to transform the way Sunderland buy players, with Short unhappy with some of his previous buys after a £30m spending spree last season.

A director of football has been installed for the first time in the form of a FIFA registered agent Roberto De Fanti, while chief scout Bryan 'Pop' Robson has been replaced with respected Italian Valentino Angeloni.

The new recruitment team have already sealed the signatures of Cabral, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge and El-Hadji Ba and there will be many more foreign arrivals before Fulham head for the Stadium of Light on August 17.

Swedish winger David Moberg Karlsson, 19, also joined yesterday on a four-year deal from Goteborg, even if he starts the season in the development squad.

“A foreign market has not been tried that much before at Sunderland and it may come off,” said Quinn. “This is a curious one, in as much as it could work very well. It could be brilliant for the club, it could encourage Ellis Short that the club can drive on to another level. That is what they are looking for. I really hope it all works out for the club and it goes great.”

Quinn, talking at De Vere Slaley Hall yesterday where he helped raise money for children's charity COCO, is not against football clubs moving to appoint a director of football.

North-East football has been stunned this week by the installation of Joe Kinnear at Newcastle, a little more than a week after De Fanti was confirmed as the chief decision maker at Sunderland.

Quinn was in no rush to say which club has made the better appointment, despite knowing Sunderland's looks more sensible because their three Italians - Di Canio, De Fanti and Angeloni - are not coming in treading on anyone's toes.

“I know Joe Kinnear is a well respect guy within the ranks of football,” said Quinn. “I always feel that if you have a manager who is constantly under pressure from somebody he feels isn't even the chairman of the club, it is a second edition of issues and problems.

“But if you have a director of football who really supports the manager, wants to bring in the players, creates things then it is a good thing. We are still to find out whether Joe will be a fire fighter to prevent Alan Pardew from delivering the growth strategy he will have or whether he will help that growth strategy. Until we know it is a hard one to call.

“I take the point that Sunderland did it under the radar and it looks like Paolo will have huge support, but I presume Ellis Short feels comfortable with that.

“But if Newcastle win their first three games and Sunderland lose their first three then we are all wrong if we say stuff like that. I just can't wait for the football to start again, It will all work out.”

Quinn was part of a star-studded field at De Vere Slaley Hall yesterday along with Sir Steve Redgrave and Kriss Akabusi raising funds for COCO.

COCO is an international children’s charity working with local communities in remote regions of the developing world to alleviate the poverty preventing children’s education. It was founded by Steve Cram MBE and Army Corp Major, Jim Panton in 2000.