CONFIDENT Alan Quinn has set his sights on a double delight following his switch to Sunderland.

Not content with trying to earn himself a permanent move to Wearside, Quinn is determined to become a hero at the Stadium of Light. The talented, young midfielder, who has signed an initial three-month loan deal from Sheffield Wednesday, was a firm favourite at Hillsborough.

And Quinn is hopeful that he can enjoy a similar rapport with the Sunderland faithful once he claims a regular first-team place.

"Sheffield Wednesday is a big club but Sunderland is bigger and I'd love to do well here," said the 24-year-old, who scored three goals in nine appearances for the Owls. "The move here excites me and I'm desperate to do well."

Quinn has represented the Republic of Ireland at every level from Under 17 upwards and he got to know Mick McCarthy during his spell with the Irish.

And the left midfielder would love to play under McCarthy's wing permanently after quickly settling in with the rest of the Sunderland squad.

"Knowing a lot of the lads has helped me a great deal, they've been great with me and I've enjoyed my short time here," said Quinn.

"I also know Mick McCarthy from his time as Ireland manager although I was never in one of his squads. He used to come and watch the Under 21s at a time when I played for them.

"I've been in the Ireland squad recently and one of the things the manager Brian Kerr said to me was that he wants to see me playing at a higher level, that's one of the reasons why I'm happy to move here."

Meanwhile, former Sunderland skipper Michael Gray has revealed his determination to secure a long-term transfer to Scottish giants Celtic. Gray, who is on loan at Parkhead until January, has made just two substitute appearances for the Hoops since joining before the closure of the transfer window.

And the left-back, who played a part in Saturday's 1-0 win over fierce rivals Rangers, said: "I'm loving it here. The lads are as good as gold. At the moment I'm only here for four months but if something more permanent can be fixed up then I would be delighted."

But Gray insists he is not happy to just spend time watching from the bench, he said:

"First, I would like to try to force my way into the team, difficult as that's going to be," he said. "Since I got into the Sunderland side at 17 I've always been a first-team player and there is no way I intend changing that now."

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