RICKY Sbragia will scour the Football League for potential bargains if he is still Sunderland manager this summer, with Danny Collins forming the template of a player who comes from nowhere to establish himself in the Premier League.

Sbragia has spent the last two international breaks travelling around Europe in an attempt to personally scout players who have been brought to his attention.

But while a number of German Bundesliga prospects have caught his eye, he will not be dismissing players from the English lower leagues if he is charged with the task of rebuilding Sunderland’s squad for next season.

In October 2004, Mick Mc- Carthy shelled out £140,000 to sign a little-known Collins from Chester City, but fourand- a-half-years later, and the defender is a first-team regular who has previously been named Sunderland’s Player of the Year.

His value has risen significantly, and while money is likely to available for new signings if the Black Cats retain their top-flight status next month, Sbragia claims Sunderland must develop their own talent if they are to progress in the future.

“Your recruitment is the most important part of a club,” said the Black Cats boss. “But we have to think that the top players are not always the best players for this club. Danny was a great purchase and this club will get a great return from him.

“Dave Bowman (former chief scout) brought him in and I think he only cost something like £150,000. He was an absolute snip and it shows that there are players around there.

“We are not so bad with recruitment, and I would prefer to buy British players as well but you cant always do that.

We have to go abroad as well.”

Sunderland’s summer recruitment plans will be dependent upon what division they are in, but they will also be influenced by the identity of the manager in charge at the start of next season.

That is unlikely to be Sbragia, with chairman Niall Quinn admitting that the Scotsman’s position will be reviewed in the summer despite him still having another year of his current contract to run.

With the Black Cats just four points clear of relegation with four games to play, Sbragia has hardly covered himself in glory since replacing Roy Keane last December.

But while the speculation over his future refuses to go away, the former York centrehalf continues to plan for the future as if he was guaranteed to be boss.

“We will have another meeting next week and talk about what players we can realistically bring into this club,” he said.

“We have to plan ahead that way. Something is in place, we are continuing and we have to.”