Ex-Premier League forward Charlie Austin has praised Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris for the job he has done since arriving on Wearside.

The former marksman also believes the Black Cats will avoid relegation this season.

A dramatic win at Chelsea on Saturday took Sunderland to 17 points from their opening nine games and just three points away from the magic halfway number of 40. They ended the weekend in fourth place.

Austin appeared on Sky Sports News, Austin and was happy to share his admiration for the Frenchman - as well as emphasising how impressed he has been with Black Cats skipper Granit Xhaka in particular.

When asked about Le Bris, Austin responded: “The scary thing is, not a lot of people know, really, outside of being a Sunderland fan, that he’s only in his second year in the job.

"He did a fantastic job in the Championship. Now he’s in the Premier League, he’s got 15 new players who came in, and as you look at the Sunderland players and...