RELEGATION tends to have far-reaching consequences, so as he battles to keep Sunderland in the Premier League in the next six weeks, Vito Mannone insists he is fully aware that he has hundreds of people’s livelihoods in his hands.

With last weekend’s results not having gone in their favour, Sunderland find themselves four points adrift of 17th-placed Norwich City with seven games remaining and will have to mount another dramatic rearguard action if they are to scramble to safety.

While some of the squad have clauses in their contract that will automatically see their wages reduce in the event of relegation, the players are largely protected from the more devastating effects of the drop. Others at the club, however, are not so lucky.

When Sunderland were relegated in 2003, around 90 full-time members of staff lost their jobs. Michael Gray, who was captain at the time, was fined two weeks’ wages and stripped of the armband when he turned up at the training ground in a brand new Ferrari, and there is a general perception that players exist in a bubble that prevents them from having to confront the fall-out from their failings.

Mannone claims that is an unfair stereotype, and points to own humble upbringing as proof that he is not detached from the reality of the position in which he finds himself.

“You can’t help but think about what will happen to everyone at the club,” said the goalkeeper, who was raised in Desio, a small town in the Lombardy region of Italy. “From my point of view, it all comes into it.

“I care about each individual that might lose their job. That makes it even more important to survive. I know about how hard life can be. I come from a family where my father had to do two jobs and my mother has always worked as well. They had to do that so we could be a family. I have been in that position, so I am not the kind of player who thinks only about himself.

“When I go on the pitch, I feel as though I have a bigger responsibility. I have to represent everyone at the club, so when I put the shirt on, it is not only about me. I try to do my best. We are human and we make mistakes, everyone does. But at the end of the day, if you put all of your effort into your job, you try to do it for everybody.”

Mannone only moved to Sunderland in 2013, having spent seven years trying unsuccessfully to force his way into the first team at Arsenal, but while he has not always been an automatic starter during his time on Wearside, his increased importance has enabled him to form a strong bond with both the club and wider region.

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He has enjoyed his time in the North-East, where he was a key performer in Sunderland’s run to the 2014 Capital One Cup final and their ‘Great Escape’ from relegation later in the same campaign, and hopes his emotional attachment comes through whenever he takes to the field.

“I hope that people see how much the club and city mean to me,” he said. “I think as a player, you always need to show your passion and how much you care.

“I care about the club – not only for myself. Each fan would like for us to stay up and be in the Premier League so that, next year, they can come and be proud of this shirt and this club. You need to take that into consideration when you go onto the pitch.”

Sam Allardyce has certainly not attempted to sugar-coat the potential effects of relegation, regularly citing the upheaval he experienced at his former club, West Ham, as a salutary reminder of what can happen if things go wrong.

Gus Poyet also ensured his players were aware of their wider responsibilities, and while other managers might prefer to adopt a different tack and shut their squad away from the wider issues surrounding them, Mannone insists it is impossible for players not to be mindful of what relegation might mean.

“I think anyone who is intelligent will understand that you have so many people, and that going into the Championship will mean there might have to be some cuts,” he said. “Some managers might decide to talk only about football, but I think as a player and as a human person, you have to know that you go onto the pitch with this responsibility.”

Having helped Sunderland survive against the odds two seasons ago, Mannone is confident his team-mates can clamber to safety again, even though their next game, on Sunday, pits them against league leaders Leicester City.

However, with the club also having finished in the bottom five last season, he accepts there are deep-rooted flaws that will have to be eradicated even if Sunderland cling on to their top-flight status.

“It is all down to a few things – the preparation of the club from top to bottom and the way you go into the season,” said Mannone. “Sometimes, it happens that you can have a season like this. But we surely must have done something wrong to be in this position again after the last few years.”