CHRIS Turner knows all about the merits of Sunderland's new managerial duo.

The Hartlepool United boss, among the names in the running to take over from Peter Reid before yesterday's shock announcement, played under Howard Wilkinson at Sheffield Wednesday and later struck up a friendship with Steve Cotterill as the managers went head to head in Division Three.

Turner, now one of the contenders to replace Cotterill at Stoke, insists the pair are exactly what Sunderland need.

"Me and Steve get on like a house on fire and I've known Howard since I was 14 years old. I'm sure they will do an excellent job at Sunderland,'' he said.

"It's a big job, but if they win the next three games then they will be mid-table and who said the pressure is on? The players will see they have got two excellent coaches coming in and will learn from them.

"They have a lot of respect for each other and it's important that the manager and his coach have the same ideas and principles.''

Wilkinson has moved to Wearside after stepping down from his role as Technical Director with the FA and Turner added: "The game has moved on since Howard was a manager, but Howard has moved on just the same.

"He has a great knowledge of the game and is well respected by everyone. He has been labelled a long-ball merchant, but it's only bad publicity and Howard will introduce a good style of play.

"Steve's teams at Cheltenham were organised and he got them promoted. He's come a long way in a short space of time, but he is now working under one of the best in the game.''

After being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, former Sunderland goalkeeper Turner admitted: "I'm very pleased and proud to be linked with such a prestigious job. It's nice to be linked with such big names, but I've got a job to do here at Hartlepool and that is all I'm worried about.

"I know what our aims are here and just because I've been linked with Sunderland doesn't mean I'll be going round with my head in the clouds.''

Turner's relationship with Cotterill stems from May 2000. Pool pipped Cheltenham for the final play-off spot. Despite his frustration, Cotterill was on the phone to Turner offering his congratulations and Turner also revealed: "When we were bottom of the League a year ago, he rang me up.

"He told me to keep my chin up and the like. We had lost at Plymouth and they had just lost 5-0 at Hull and he said Hull weren't that good and we would beat them on Tuesday night.

"When you are coming back from Plymouth and your next game is Hull, for a manager to come on and say you will win your next game is tremendous.

"And then he rang me back after the game when we had won 4-0 and said 'I told you so'.''

Cotterill's Cheltenham beat Turner's Pool in the Third Division play-offs last season, scraping through after Ritchie Humphreys' sudden-death penalty struck the bar.

As the teams met to try and escape from Division Three last season, Turner admitted: "The nightmare situation for me is that we get on very well together.

"I was desperate for them to go up automatically because I like him and because I knew we were in for a tough game against them.

"I didn't know him before I became a manager, but when you are a manager in the Third Division everyone forgets about you and you have to stick together!''

Cotterill quickly repaid Turner's compliment: "The game was played in the right manner, as it always is between Cheltenham and Hartlepool.

"I don't know whether that's because of the friendship between myself and Chris. I have respect for Chris and we get on fantastically.''

And now, with Turner already listed among the candidates for the Stoke vacancy, he said: "Again, it's flattering. I seem to be linked with every job going now and I suppose at least it shows we must be doing something right here.

"There's nothing I can do about speculation, but I can only tell everyone that I am very happy here at Hartlepool and as far as I'm concerned I'm here until I'm told they don't want me."