Craig Gardner backs Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill to save club

Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner is confident that manager Martin O'Neill is the right man to turn things around at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats are just four points away from dropping into the Championship by the end of the campaign.

"I have worked with the manager for seven or eight years," Gardner told The Journal. "He is one of the best. He is unbelievable. He turns things around at times like this. He is one of the best and we will be fine.

"We just need to dig deep and we will. Martin O'Neill is Martin O'Neill. He knows what to do. He has been in the game longer than I have been alive.

"He has been through every single situation possible. He knows what to do. We have the best possible person in charge. He will get us out of it."

The North-East outfit have just eight games left to pull themselves out of their relegation scrap.