DANNY GRAHAM wants to give Sunderland fans something to cheer by breaking his goalscoring duck in the hope it will lead to a Wearside stay next season.

Graham has been handed something of a lifeline at the Stadium of Light after Gus Poyet brought him back into the first team picture following his loan from Wolves.

The arrival of Jermain Defoe has actually helped him to become one of the four main forwards Poyet is relying on, highlighted by starts against Swansea City and Bradford City. Still, though, his maiden goal in a Sunderland shirt since moving more than two years ago has eluded him.

But Graham has looked fresher and more relaxed since his return from Molineux, so is hopeful of finishing the campaign strongly, to stay in Poyet’s thinking for the summer and beyond.

Graham, 29, has already played for 11 clubs and has had three loans during his time at Sunderland, since arriving from Swansea for £5m in January 2013.

“Now I am back in and around the first team picture here I want to stay (at Sunderland), not once have I said I wanted to go,” said Graham. “Other circumstances have led me that way. I want to stay, do well in pre-season and see where that takes me next season.

“It’s strange. A few months, probably weeks, ago I was probably thinking where I will go on loan next. Now I am back in and around the first team. Hopefully I can do well and I would love to be in there next season too.

“I’ve never wanted to go anywhere, 100 per cent. I would have loved to have stayed and showed my true worth, fought for my place. Different managers come in and change things, but I have come back and the manager has put a bit of faith in me. Now I just want to prove I can be a success here and not the failure that I have been so far.”

It has been a hard time for Graham, trying to battle with confidence because of the periods he has not been able to build up his match fitness. In his six appearances since the turn of the year, though, he has looked in a happier place on the pitch, even if he has not necessarily felt that way.

“It’s been a difficult few years, going out on loan on several occasions,” said Graham. “Coming back from Wolves I felt in great shape, very fit and then the gaffer gave me the opportunity when I came back.

“I came on against Swansea and then again on Sunday. Hopefully I will get a few more. Playing games did help me. Wolves got my match fitness up and I feel like a different person. Hopefully I can be a help to the team.

“It was tough after my loan at Middlesbrough last season. I had a good end to the season after Middlesbrough, so I wanted to do well in pre-season. But I wasn’t travelling to Portugal for the friendlies and that was a setback again. I have never been a problem round the place. I have got on with all of the lads. I am just delighted to be back and part of the team.”

He should be involved again against West Brom tomorrow, provided there is no negative reaction to the head injury suffered during last Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round defeat at Bradford.

That loss has increased the pressure on Poyet and failing to get off to a good start tomorrow could increase the tension.

“We need to start better this time. We have not started very well in previous games,” said Graham. “We need to do everything right and ensure we get the three points.

“The fans are brilliant and we will need them to get behind us, get them singing, make it a difficult place to come ... that has to come from us too. If it is a tackle, a shot, we need to get them going. Hopefully that will start on Saturday.

“You can soon pull away. If we can start this Saturday, that would be great after the last couple of results. We just need to string a few results together because we need them.

“It was a disappointing result at Bradford. But we need to concentrate on the bigger picture now.”