Sports Mole is bringing you live coverage of Martin O'Neill's first press conference as Sunderland manager this afternoon.

Why take the job?

"I felt ready to come back," said O'Neill. "I think Sunderland is a fantastic football club.

"The opportunity has arisen and I wanted to take it.

"I feel I am ready to come back, I really want to do well out of the opportunity and I want to do well."

Supporting Sunderland as a youngster

"I supported Sunderland as a boy, and of course I followed them but that's a long time ago. I don't want to make too much out of it," he said.

"It's a great football club and I wouldn't want to play too much on Sunderland boyhood hero thing, we're in the results business. Now it's come together and I want to make a success of it."

Losing to Wolves on Sunday

"That type of performance was probably symptomatic of the season and in a game when a penalty is massive and within 30 seconds they score," O'Neill told reporters.

"It just ebbed away and we conceded late to lose the game, it's something we need to address.

"In terms of the players there is a very good spirit at the club. They are very positive."

First game in charge

"We're in a little bit of trouble at the moment but we just have to win and Sunday," he said.

"It is very important for us and the players are very aware of that. The sooner we can win matches the better."

O'Neill, who signed a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, has taken over from Steve Bruce, following his sacking late last month.