SUNDERLAND’S relegation threatened squad have flown out to New York and when they return Jordan Pickford, the club’s highly-rated young goalkeeper, will be fit to be considered for a return.

Pickford and his prolific team-mate Jermain Defoe were honoured at the North-East Football Writers’ Player of the Year Awards night on Sunday night, when they claimed the young player and main award respectively.

The form of both players during the last year has been two of the main positives during another difficult period when Sunderland have had to fight against relegation twice, albeit successfully once. They also suffered frustration when Sam Allardyce’s summer departure to take over England left the club playing catch-up in pre-season.

Despite the disappointing start to the current campaign, Pickford and Defoe have shone at opposite ends of the pitch and have proven how valuable they are to Sunderland.

Now Pickford has declared himself fit for the trip to Everton when Sunderland return to Premier League action a week on Saturday, if that is what Moyes decides is the best thing to do.

Vito Mannone, who has played since the younger keeper damaged knee ligaments on Boxing Day, has had good and bad days since his return to the side and it will have hurt him to concede four against Southampton at the weekend.

Moyes was tempted to hand Pickford his return to the side against the Saints, but decided to go with the surgeon’s recommendation that he should not play again until after this week. He was taking part in full contact training last week.

Pickford said: "Yes, the knee is fine now. I've had a good six to eight weeks off but I've been working really hard in the gym and getting my knee right and it is fine now.

"Hopefully, I'll be ready for Everton. My cruciate could have snapped but it's still intact so I think I've got away with one there.”

The 22-year-old has played 19 times for Sunderland this season, 16 of those were in the Premier League. While Sunderland’s performances have meant he has not kept as many clean sheets as he would have liked, his shot-stopping and distribution has made Champions League chasing clubs take notice.

Pickford was proud to have been acknowledged at Durham’s Ramside Hall on Sunday night, just hours before he flew out to the United States with Defoe and Co in the hope of boosting the team’s morale after the 4-0 thumping.

Despite Defoe’s brilliant form in front of goal, he was starved of opportunities and chances against the Saints and that has left Sunderland rooted to the foot of the table. Had they won they would have climbed out of the bottom three.

If Sunderland are to eventually pull off another escape from the drop then they are going to need Defoe to keep finding the net. Despite the Black Cats’ position at the foot, the 35-year-old has still scored 14 goals; only Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Costa, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez have more.

West Ham tried hard to sign him last month and were willing to pay £6m for his services and take on his £80,000-a-week contract despite his age.

Defoe stayed on Wearside, though, and explained at the awards night how he is determined to play on for as long as he can – even if his mum wants to know when he will call it a day.

"My mum keeps asking me ‘how long are you going to play for? When are you going to do your coaching badges?'” said Defoe.

"I don't know to be honest. It's just like life, I take each day as it comes. Even my friends in football, Les Ferdinand and Ian Wright, I always say to them 'do you miss it?'

"They miss not just the training and the games but just being around the lads in the changing room and stuff like that.

"I've always said that it's important that players try to play as long as they can. That's why I've always looked after myself, because I love it."