Darren Byfield last night pledged to score the goals required to secure Sunderland's Premiership status after insisting the Wearsiders are a club on course for promotion.
The former Rotherham striker marked his Black Cats debut with a late equaliser at Watford on Saturday - just 24 hours after linking up with his new team-mates following Friday's surprise move from Millmoor.
And Byfield departed Vicarage Road convinced that the quality within Sunderland's first-team squad will ensure a sustained push for an immediate top-flight return.
"My aim is to come in and score the goals to get Sunderland back into the Premiership," declared the former Aston Villa forward. "Promotion is definitely on the cards and when I look at the quality of the squad here, I can't believe we're not top of the league.
"When I played against Sunderland earlier this season, I took one look at their bench and couldn't believe the names of their substitutes. This club should be playing in the top flight."
Byfield celebrated the perfect debut with a goal four minutes from time to cap a confident substitute's appearance and immediately pile the pressure on his rival strikers.
With fellow substitute Marcus Stewart setting Sunderland on the road to recovery following a stooping far post header, both Tommy Smith and Kevin Kyle face an uncertain short-term future ahead of the Wearsiders' next League outing - at Cardiff City a week on Saturday.
The cup-tied Byfield will spend the next fortnight basking in the glory of his debut goal before gearing up for a first Black Cats start in the Welsh capital.
"It was a great start for me and it couldn't have gone any better," agreed the Jamaican international. "I only met up with the rest of the lads on the coach on the way down (to Watford) and I was really nervous. I felt like it was the first day at school again! When I got on the coach everyone was watching a film so I just popped on my headphones and joined them.
"I haven't even been to the training ground yet, but everyone has told me about it and told me just how big a club Sunderland really is. It's certainly a bit different to Rotherham.
"It's a massive change for me and, no disrespect to Rotherham, but it's a giant step up for me. I just want to make the best of this opportunity."
Mick McCarthy, who risked the wrath of Sunderland fans everywhere following the decision to swap Byfield for crowd favourite Michael Proctor, expects more goals to follow as the Black Cats push for a top-two place.
And, after admitting Byfield was far from at his best during Saturday's 31-minute cameo, he added: "In the circumstances I'm delighted with Darren. I said he would get us a goal and he did.
"He's had a potential move to Derby scotched and he's suddenly heard about our interest. I put a deal to Ronnie Moore and it suited him, it suited us and it suited both Darren and Michael Proctor."
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