SUNDERLAND striker Danny Dichio and exciting young midfielder Paul Thirlwell have signed new contracts binding them to the club for the next four years.

London-born Dichio, who joined the club from Sampdoria for £750,000 in January 1998, has been kept waiting in the wings by the prolific goalscoring partnership of Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, but whenever he has come into the first team he has usually responded with important strikes.

Despite being troubled for most of last season with a back injury which eventually required an operation, the 25-year-old former England Under-21 international netted four goals in three Worthington Cup starts.

He was regularly used as a substitute and after being called off the bench on 46 occasions he is only ten short of former striker Craig Russell's club record for substitute appearances.

Washington-born Thirlwell, 21, burst onto the first-team stage last season, emerging as one of the club's most exciting prospects.

After joining the club in 1995 he made his senior debut in a League Cup victory over Grimsby Town in the 1998-99 season, earning his place in the First Division side a week later.

Thirlwell benefited from a three- month loan at Swindon in the early part of last season and he returned to Wearside to force his way into the first-team squad, starting the last three Premiership matches of the campaign which saw Sunderland finish seventh.

Sunderland manager Peter Reid was delighted to secure the services of both players until 2004.

He said: "Danny had a frustrating time last season but his goalscoring record with the club has been terrific. He loves it up here in the North-East and his heart is with the club - I know he's delighted to be staying."

Reid added: "Paul is an excellent young player who does a fantastic job while he is in the team. He's a player whom I think can only improve."

Dichio, who feels he has benefited tremendously in his time at Sunderland since returning from Italy, said: "I've had talks through the summer and I'm glad to get the contract sorted out.

"I really wanted to stay with Sunderland because it is a great club to play for and I have really enjoyed my time here."

Thirlwell was thrilled to have have been offered a new long-term contract to mark his progress at the club.

He said: "I felt I played well last season so it was great to be offered a new contract.

"Now I'm looking to work hard and hopefully secure a regular first- team place."

l REPUBLIC of Ireland striker Niall Quinn has revealed he faces a cut in wages if he does not play regularly in the final season of his new three-year contract.

The Dubliner will be 36 when he enters the final phase of his new deal, and he has agreed a pay-as-you-play arrangement.

Quinn explained: "I am pleased to get a new contract sorted and the club has done very well for me.

"The only problem I envisaged was the length of the deal - I wanted a three-year, which I have got, but if I don't play every game it is taken care of in the contract.

"If I am not in the team in the third year I will not hold the earning power, so it won't be a case of me sitting around and collecting the money if the legs go, which is only fair.

"But as long as I am playing and doing things for Sunderland then it is great."

Quinn has also decided he will call it a day when his contract ends.

He said: "I won't carry on after this deal - I want to give everything for Sunderland during the three years and then it will be time to bow out. I don't want to drag my contract out and play without doing myself justice - that's not me."

l FRENCH triallist Cedric Bardon gets the chance to shoot his way to a new career with Sunderland in the club's three-match tour of Holland this week.

Wearside boss Peter Reid has obtained special permission to include the 23-year-old Rennes striker in a 19-strong squad which flies out this morning, and in the absence of first-choice front-men Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, Bardon is one of four recognised finishers in the party.

Reid, who has been sufficiently impressed with Bardon in training to want to see him in competitive action, confirmed: "The lad has been with us for a couple of days and we are having a close look at him before making any decisions."

Bardon, regarded as one of the most promising young strikers in France, despite having a fiery temperament, could well start in tonight's opening match of the tour against Fortuna Sittard alongside Danny Dichio.

The other strikers in the tour squad are both inexperienced - 20-year-old Irishman Michael Reddy, best remembered by Sunderland fans for his equaliser after coming on as substitute in the derby game at Middlesbrough last November, and 19-year-old Kevin Kyle.

Bardon, who played at Lyon with Sunderland midfielder Eric Roy, scored 12 goals in 58 appearances for Rennes over the last two seasons, but has found himself surplus to requirements following the arrival of big-money strikers Severino Lucas, Mario Turdo and Luis Fabiano.

Rennes are looking to recoup some of their outlay and had no objection to Bardon going in the shop window in Holland.

Also missing from the Sunderland squad is skipper Steve Bould, who is well on the way to recovery after hamstring and toe problems at the end of next season and could be ready for the opening Premiership game against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light a week on Saturday.

Sunderland continue their Dutch tour with a game against amateur side Appeldoornse Boys on Thursday before their final pre-season friendly against Champions League qualifiers SC Heerenveen in Appelscha on Saturday.

The Sunderland squad is: Sorensen, Marriott, Makin, McCartney, Holloway, Craddock, Varga, Paul Butler, Gray, Roy, Peters, Oster, Hutchison, Kilbane, Thomas Butler, Dichio, Reddy, Kyle, Bardon