Lee Cattermole has revealed that Gus Poyet played a big part in turning the midfielder's career around at Sunderland.

The combative Cattermole is just one red card away from the Premier League record, but the former England Under-21 international explained that Poyet has helped him curb his aggression on the field.

He told Sky Sports News: "He definitely changed my game, I win a lot of tackles and that's a big part of my game, and I've made some silly tackles where I think 'what was I doing?' but it's a thing of the past now, that's not a worry. I've never once had to have a conversation with him about tackles.

"He come here last year and obviously we looked like going down until March. We turned it round, we produced some performances and since then, we've seen [Poyet] a lot more relaxed.

"Last year was difficult, I came back from an injury and came back in with Paolo Di Canio and never got an opportunity, so when Gus came, he wanted to play with a sitting midfielder and receive the ball off the back four, everything which I was known for."

The Black Cats are currently 17th in the Premier League.