JACK ROSS is ready to use mentor Brendan Rodgers whenever he can in his bid to turn Sunderland around, having created links to Parkhead that should prove hugely beneficial to the Stadium of Light during the months ahead.

Rodgers has enjoyed unprecedented success during his time as Celtic manager and Ross has got to know him reasonably well during his time in charge of Paisley-based St Mirren, on the outskirts of Glasgow.

It is a link that could well lead to players making the switch from the Bhoys to Wearside, with Lewis Morgan already on the radar having impressed under Ross with the Buddies.

Morgan was part of the St Mirren team that won the Scottish Championship last season, scoring 18 times, when he was bought by Celtic in January and immediately returned back on loan to finish off the task of promotion.

Ross, knowing how Rodgers spent years coaching and managing in England with Chelsea, Watford, Swansea and Liverpool, leaned on the Celtic chief when he was considering his next move south of the border this time.

“Some managers will tell you they have had people in their careers who they turned to or looked at, but that wasn’t the case with me, I’ve never really had that as a player,” he said.

“I’ve taken bits from here and there about leadership in general. But I’ve been very fortunate that since Brendan Rodgers came to Scotland he’s been very helpful.

“I’m lucky in that I’ve been able to see him when he’s been able to fit me in and when our Championship season had finished I saw him.

“I had the opportunity to speak with Ipswich and spoke to him about that and the next steps to take in my career. He’s been helpful and influential in giving me the encouragement to move forward.

“He’s someone who I am lucky I’m able to counsel when I can and he has had success in England and with Celtic too – as a young manager for me it’s a tremendous thing to have.”

Morgan is one of the hottest prospects in Scotland right now, the 21-year-old winger has already made his Scotland debut and has developed immensely under the guidance of Ross over the last couple of years.

Ross has realised how much enjoyment he has received from making players better, having started out as an assistant manager at Dumbarton and gone on to coach the Hearts Under-20s and then manage St Mirren.

Ross said: “My experience post-playing, I always wanted to manage. I wasn’t that interested in coaching but they have probably morphed into each other now anyway.

“Managing and coaching were very separate for a long period of time but now there is a lot more onus on a manager to coach as well.

“Because I coached first, I quickly realised how much I enjoyed that and the buzz I got from it and the reaction I got from the players.

“From my spell at Hearts, there were a lot of young players there now playing in their first team.

“That satisfaction from seeing players get better and to then move on to St Mirren; a player like Lewis Morgan, for example, over a period of 18-months has gone on such an upward trajectory, he has always had the natural ability.

“Players here will have it. He developed a mind-set, a confidence and a steeliness that has taken him to a different level.

“That is the biggest challenge, how you take a strong academy here, take the players from the 18 to 21 bracket and give them the next bit. That is the hardest part, that transition from promising young player to proper professional and one that can have a long career.”

Ross officially started in his role on Thursday and since then it has been confirmed Uruguayan businessman Juan Sartori is set to become a minority shareholder at the club.

The Black Cats have been looking for extra investment to strengthen the rebuilding job that is on Donald’s hands. And, after a meeting in Monaco over the weekend, the former Eastleigh chairman is confident Sartori is on board to help the club ‘maximise’ its potential.

Sartori is going through the EFL owners’ and directors’ test before it will be officially confirmed. He is the son-in-law of Monaco’s owner Dmitry Rybolovlev. Sartori was part of an unsuccessful attempt to takeover Oxford and that has led to him looking at alternatives, with Sunderland the direction he has taken.

Donald told BBC Newcastle: “It will mean we can lean on him and he will add value to us ongoing. It is not essential at this stage that he is involved but he will bring so much to Sunderland over a period of time that it is right to get him on board now.

“He is very well connected, bright, astute, a very successful guy. He loves his football. I think he could be a real asset to us moving forward.”

While Donald has stressed that players do not need to leave to help the financial situation, it is clear that players will.

Didier Ndong could bring in a decent chunk of cash, with Torino believed to be readying a £7m offer for his services. He was signed for £13.8m and didn't play the games required to be a success during last season's loan at Watford.