DAN NEIL readily admits he will not be switching his phone on this week. Emotions tend to be heightened leading into any Wear-Tyne derby, and become even more manic when the game has not been staged for almost eight years, so for a Sunderland player living amongst a group of Newcastle United fans, the next few days promise to be especially intense.

“My father and grandad are Sunderland fans,” said Neil, who is one of two academy products in Sunderland’s likely starting line-up at the weekend, along with goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. “I had season tickets with them and went whenever I could go to games, but I’m from Jarrow and Hebburn, and most of the lads I went to school with are Newcastle fans.

“I’m sure I’ll get a few messages off my mates because most of them are Newcastle fans too. I’m sure I’ll be getting a few texts off them through the week.”

Over the course of the last decade or so, Neil has had precious few opportunities to laud it over his Newcastle-supporting friends. While Newcastle have forced their way into the Champions League, under Saudi Arabian owners who can claim to have made them the ‘richest club in the world’, Sunderland spent four years languishing in League One before they were able to haul themselves back into the Championship.

The derbies have been the exception to the rule though, with Sunderland unbeaten in their last nine matches against their fiercest of rivals. From Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips in the rain at St James’ Park to Paolo Di Canio’s knee-slide and on to Jermain Defoe hammering home an unstoppable volley at the Stadium of Light, the derby matches have provided a succession of highlights for a Sunderland fan like Neil.

“The first derby I can remember is the Kieran Richardson free-kick,” said the midfielder. "That’s the one that I remember. I’ve been to a lot of them since then, but it’s the one I really remember. I was in the South-West corner. Around that area. Almost behind the goal, on the angle from where it hit it.

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“I never really went to the away ones, it was more the home ones. I remember (Steven) Fletcher at the back post from (Younes) Kaboul’s cross, Billy Jones' goal.

"I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always been a dream to play in these types of games, but I’ve never played in one, so I don’t really know what it’s going to be like.

“It’s just a massive game for the area and to say you’ve been involved in one, hopefully on the end of the right result in one, is a big achievement and one that I really want to have.”

As well as wanting to continue Sunderland’s fine derby record, Neil and the rest of his Sunderland team-mates want to use Saturday’s game to prove how far they have come in the last couple of seasons.

The Black Cats were knocking on the door in the promotion race under Tony Mowbray last season, only to lose to Luton Town in the play-off semi-finals, and find themselves back in the top six in the current campaign under new head coach Michael Beale.

They took top-flight Fulham to a replay in the third round of the FA Cup last season, and for all that Newcastle’s form has dipped markedly in the last month or so, beating a side that were playing in the Champions League as recently as December would nevertheless be a notable feather in the cap.

“Obviously, because it’s a derby, it gets magnified,” said Neil. “But as a Championship squad, we're just relishing the chance to play against a Premier League team. When we played Fulham last year, everyone absolutely loved it because it's a chance to show where you are as a team, and as an individual, against these types of players.

“There's no mistake about it, they've done really well over the last few seasons in Newcastle. So, it's a good chance for the lads to show what they can do. And as a team, to show what we can do too.”

As strong favourites, it can be argued that the pressure is piled on Newcastle. In a derby, though, both sides find themselves shouldering the hopes and expectations of their fans.

“If you can get your name on the scoresheet for either side, you’re written down in history,” said Neil. “I’m sure everybody who’s going to be involved in the game will be thinking about that.

“It’s a massive chance, as a team and as an individual, to really make a name for yourself and put yourself down in history around this area. I’ll be thinking about that just as much as everybody else that’s going to be involved.”