Darren Ward will remain at the Stadium of Light for a second season after it emerged that the one-year contract he signed last summer has been extended by a further 12 months.
And the 32-year-old could not be more thrilled by the prospect of continuing his association with Sunderland after admitting that the club's `unbelievable' supporters have got under his skin.
The short-term contract Ward penned when he joined the Black Cats from Norwich included a clause that stipulated he would automatically be awarded another year on Wearside should he make 15 first-team appearances.
Having ousted Ben Alnwick to establish himself as the club's first-choice keeper, the Welsh international has met those requirements. And although the level-headed East Midlander will take nothing for granted, he is relishing the thought of playing a part in Sunderland's future plans.
"It (the contract extension) has thankfully taken effect now and that will look after itself," explained Ward, who has been a consistent performer between the Black Cats posts since he made his debut at Stoke in October. "I guess that means that I will still be here next year - unless I get sold. Fingers crossed on that one. But I'm obviously very pleased because I'm really happy here and this is where I want to be."
Having made just one senior appearance in two years at Carrow Road, Ward has played 18 times for Sunderland this season and, although little was expected of the much-travelled keeper when he first arrived, he has proved to be a shrewd signing on Niall Quinn's part.
"It has been a fantastic move for me," said a player who can boast more than 500 first-team games to his name. "Having left Norwich, there was not a great deal in the pipeline at this level. When Sunderland came knocking, it gave me a wonderful opportunity to push Ben for a place in the team. The way things have turned out, it has worked out great for me."
Such is Roy Keane's faith in Ward, Alnwick has been allowed to join Tottenham and, although Marton Fulop moved in the opposite direction, there is no doubt that it is former Nottingham Forest favourite Ward who is number one on Wearside.
He has enjoyed establishing a rapport with the club's supporters and, having played in front of 6,100 travelling Wearsiders at Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, he has saluted the part the fans have played in making his time in the North-East so memorable.
"The fans were unbelievable at Hillsborough," he said. "If I think back to Stoke, when I made my debut for Sunderland on a dreary night in a midweek fixture, the support was brilliant for such a game. It has been pretty much the same wherever we've been.
"If you think back to Hull when we won it in the last minute, all the way through to Sheffield Wednesday, the support has been unbelievable.
"When I was in front of the Kop at Hillsborough on Saturday, we went 2-0 up and I looked to the other end and saw our players celebrating and the whole of the (Leppings Lane) stand was bouncing. It was amazing. You have to give credit where it's due, our sup-porters have played a huge part.
"Have the fans got under my skin? Without a doubt, I have taken to them. We have fanatical support and I have embraced that in a positive manner. I'm really enjoying my time here."
Meanwhile, Tommy Miller will be given another chance to further his first-team claims this afternoon when Sunderland's reserves host Hibernian in a friendly at the Stadium of Light (1pm).
Tony Capaldi will not be allowed to engineer a lucrative free transfer this summer after a frustrated Ian Holloway insisted that if he does not sign a new contract at Plymouth he will be sold within a week.
Sunderland are among the clubs tracking the Northern Ireland international - and Holloway has told the defender that if he is to leave, he will have to go now.
"I have been polishing that car since I came here," said a manager with a penchant for metaphors. "I am not going to polish it and have someone rip it off my drive in the summer for nothing because I think that is bad business.
"Someone is going to have to buy that car off me. I might have to push it off my drive if it does not want to go. Either he (Capaldi) revs it and drives it into my garage or I push it off my drive.
"If he thinks he can wait until the summer like his agent wants him to do, then he has another thing coming," he said. "It will be a rude awakening.
"The olive branch is there but I might rip it away soon. Tony's a great bloke but, if his heart isn't in it, lets move on."
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