SUNDERLAND’S award winners want to make up for a miserable season by powering Sam Allardyce’s team to safety before building on the whole experience and attacking the Premier League with greater intent next time around.

After a campaign starved of highs, the club’s supporters’ association rewarded Jermain Defoe for his 16-goal return by naming him the player of the year and handing the young player prize to Duncan Watmore.

While delighted with the recognition of their performances during a season spent battling to beat the drop, the only target over the next few weeks is to keep Sunderland in the Premier League.

Watmore, an intelligent player who has always wanted to learn on and off the pitch, is determined to take the positives out of a frustrating campaign for the club during his first full season in and around a Premier League squad.

“I have not been in too many other dressing rooms but it’s been great to breakthrough this year,” said Watmore, a product of the Altrincham youth system before moving to Sunderland three years ago.

“There is so much experience and talent in there, so for someone like me, who is trying to tap in to the knowledge and know-how of others, I want to benefit from that.”

The 22-year-old has only started six games in the Premier League and appeared 13 more times as a substitute. He has had to endure the frustration of an ankle ligament injury earlier this year, but has recovered to play his part in the last two games.

Watmore told BBC Newcastle: “I have four first-team goals this year and I have not started that many. I am trying to get more, but it is good to get that and I want more.

“At the start of the season I wasn’t even considered a first team player. The new manager has been great with me. I have played a lot of games and I have wanted to play as many games as I could to contribute the best I can.

“I am grateful to have got the award. It’s been a difficult season to make my breakthrough but it’s been great experience. You have to get used to the highs and lows in professional football. We have recovered and we have to finish the season on a high.”

Sunderland have collected four points from their last two games to lift them out of the bottom three ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stoke City.

Without Defoe’s 16-goal tally, Sunderland are likely to have been down where Aston Villa are at this stage; already planning for next season in the Championship. Yet it is difficult to imagine the former England man scoring that many had he continued to play on the left, like Dick Advocaat and Allardyce, initially, had him doing.

“When you are scoring goals, you look at the fixtures, you want to keep playing,” said Defoe.

“We have four cup finals now, four massive games. All I want to do is put it in and help my teammates, the club and to make sure when we come back we come back in the Premier League.”

Defoe arrived from Toronto in January last year and helped Sunderland stay up under Advocaat. It has only been since Allardyce took over that Sunderland supporters have seen his true quality – and he hopes that when he does leave Wearside he will be welcomed back with open arms.

Defoe, speaking after receiving his top player prize, said: “The fans have appreciated my hard work and it means a lot to me for them to vote for me. It is my first full season here.

“I just wanted to score goals here when I first walked in and to help the club push forward. Darren Bent, Kevin Phillips, so many forwards here over the years have been appreciated, so hopefully one day I can always come back here because it is a great place.”

Sporting Lisbon, meanwhile, are exploring ways of setting up a permanent deal for Sunderland defender Sebastian Coates at the end of the season. They are concerned the Uruguayan, who has impressed in Portugal, will attract interest from elsewhere and they want to secure a transfer before the end of his loan.