NEW Sunderland boss Jack Ross accepts that there is going to be a huge period of transition at the Stadium of Light, even if he thinks the timing “just felt right” to accept the challenge.

Ross, who spent just over a year in the North-East before leaving Hartlepool in 2005, is back in the region and was paraded in front of the media for the first time at the Academy of Light this afternoon.

The 41-year-old accepted the job on Wearside after discussions with new Sunderland owner Stewart Donald and executive director Charlie Methven, having led St Mirren to the Scottish Championship title last season.

Now Ross, after signing a two-year deal, faces the task of leading Sunderland to promotion from League One, and first he knows the squad he inherits requires a lot of work and decision making – starting, he says, tomorrow.

“It was a big decision because I loved the job I was doing so much, I was very happy in the job and looking ahead to Scottish Premiership,” said Ross, who only returned from holiday on Tuesday.

“When a team presents itself with this magnitude and stature, the opportunity to take the club forward was appealing.

"It is nice to be back in the country, working, and to see the stadium and the training ground. It gives me the best platform and the best chance to be successful.

“There was no real rush to leave the job I was in, but this was a new experience to me. I got opportunities earlier than I imagined.

“This felt like it could be the right one from looking from the outside, and when Stewart and Charlie spoke to me, I felt it was the right opportunity at the right time. It feels right. I will have to adapt because of the league and size of the club, but I’m sure I can.”

One of the first decisions to be made will be the four players out of contract, with John O’Shea, Marc Wilson, Kazenga LuaLua and Billy Jones all set to become free agents.

But Ross said: “Having only been back in the country the last couple of days that process only starts in earnest tomorrow. It’s naïve to say we will not be in a period of transition.

“We will have to do a lot of work in a short space of time. That itself is exciting. That process will continue over the course of the next days.

“The absolute position will become clearer in the coming weeks, none of the jobs I have taken on haven’t been difficult and have presented different challenges.

“This is a new one but if I didn’t think I could do I wouldn’t have taken it on. First of all it is developing the trust with each other, that is my job to develop that in the last next couple of months and then take that on to the pitch.”