Daniel Wales reports from the Academy of Light as Régis Le Bris previews Sunderland’s first Premier League match for eight years, as they welcome West Ham United to the Stadium of Light.
00:01After eight years away, four of which were spent in League One, Sunderland finally make their return to the Premier League on Saturday as they welcome West Ham United to the Stadium of Light to kick off their 2025-2026 campaign.
00:17All of the dark days here on Wearside have come to an end and Sunderland are finally back in the big time. Here at the Academy of Light, Regis Labrice, his staff and his players have been working hard to ensure that the Black Cats are as competitive as possible this season and that they, unlike so many other promoted teams recently, do not go straight back down to the Championship.
00:40They are helped by a buzz and optimism felt in the city and is still carrying on from the end of last season. The slogan, let's not forget, that was emblazoned all over the city ahead of their playoff campaign read till the end and that sort of mindset and mentality will certainly be needed again this season by the players and the supporters alike.
01:00I think there is genuine hope that Sunderland can be the club that books the trend and breaks the rule this year by surviving in the top flight and ultimately establishing themselves as a fully-fledged Premier League club once again.
01:15The momentum gained at the end of the previous campaign was certainly something that Regis Labrice wanted to build on and use this season.
01:23Yeah, I think this momentum started earlier and even after the promotion in Championship, the club had the opportunity to go in playoff struggle.
01:36The season after, it was a different season and now, last season, we had this opportunity to get promoted.
01:45So, I think the power of the club is really sensitive, you can feel it. And now, it's not enough. Obviously, you have to work and to show every season, every single day that you have this desire to succeed.
02:03It's easy to figure out that this is just your second full season in English football. What will you take from the first season or be it in the Championship and how personally confident are you about this campaign?
02:15Yeah, I learn every day. So, after one season, I can say that I'm a different coach now than I was one season before in front of you.
02:23So, I'm learning. The club is learning. The players and the squad are learning. So, we are getting better and we have to challenge this new level. So, we need this, I think, to grow.
02:36And just finally, given all the new faces you've brought in this summer, is it actually fair to say that, depending on the opposition, you will have a team to play then? There's not just one strongest XI.
02:45Yeah, it's always a new dynamic and we can expect something and I'm sure that something else will happen. Is it for the opponent, for us? And I think it's really important to have an open mind because as a manager, as a club, we can set the foundations.
03:10And after that, we are talking about humans and they can evolve in one way or in another way. But if we feed the process, if we create a positive environment, I think many positive elements can happen.
03:27Sunderland have been very active in the transfer market so far during this summer window and fans at the Stadium of Light this season will have plenty of new players to give their support to from the stands.
03:40They include the former Arsenal player, Granit Xhaka, who arrived from Bayer Leverkusen recently.
03:47He has been named club captain by Regis Labris and the two of them will have to work hard in order to gel the squad together to make sure that Sunderland can win enough matches this season.
04:01The majority of Sunderland's new signings will make their bow on Saturday against West Ham, a fixture which some are saying is a good benchmark to determine exactly where the Black Cats are going into this Premier League season.
04:14There is no denying the challenge that lies ahead of Regis Labris's sides given the step up in quality that they will face in England's top tier.
04:23But they will hope that some of the experienced players that they have recruited this summer will be able to cope with the demands and, crucially, aid the rest of their younger teammates.
04:32Well, it all begins on Saturday then and the question is, will the mood of the city still be positive come the end of the campaign, come May?
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