STEPHEN ELLIOTT was an unknown quantity when he first arrived at Sunderland, so much so that even strike partner Marcus Stewart admits to being caught unaware by the predatory instincts of the young Irishman.

Eyebrows may well have been raised last summer when Mick McCarthy swooped for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s' record goalscorer who had struggled to make an impact at Manchester City.

Two substitute appearances for City where all he could boast from years in Manchester and he never looked like breaking into Kevin Keegan's team - ironically he could well have been given a chance now under caretaker boss Stuart Pearce.

The relatively small fee of £125,000 - decided by a tribunal in September - paid out by Sunderland, looks to be a bargain even if they end up having to pay the final figure of £375,000 if numerous add ons are met.

Elliott is only 21 but, if Sunderland were to claim promotion to the Premiership, he is a player who looks more than capable of making the step up.

The situation bears more than a resemblance to the days when Kevin Phillips fired the club to Football League glory before going on to become Sunderland's greatest post-war goalscorer.

Elliott has scored 14 goals this season in his first full campaign as a first team footballer - capped by a second senior international cap on Tuesday night against China - and more experienced team-mate Stewart admits to being pleasantly surprised by the player's rise.

"I didn't know anything about Stephen before he came, but having played with him for eight months I can honestly say that, barring injury, there is nothing to stop him reaching the very top and staying there," said Stewart.

"If you had told him at the start of the season that he would start virtually every game for Sunderland, score 14 goals, get called up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad and win three caps, he'd have laughed.

"He didn't expect to have the sort of impact he has. He has had a fantastic first season and he fully deserves his international recognition. He has got the ability to stay there for a very long time."

Stewart and Elliott have become McCarthy's first choice strike partnership in the Championship and have vindicated the manager's decision by grabbing important goals to send Sunderland to the top of the Championship.

It is a pairing that is something the elder forward did not expect to work initially, having been used to playing alongside a stronger front man who could take all the tough challenges from no-nonsense centre-backs.

But 15-goal top-scorer Stewart, who claims there is no rivalry between the pair to finish as the club's leading marksman this season, believes the duo have been more than a match for most defences despite giving away a lot of height to their opponents.

"I've been pleasantly surprised with how successful our partnership has been.

"It's different to the sorts of partnerships I've had in the past as I've normally played with a big guy alongside me," said Stewart, formerly of Ipswich, Huddersfield and Bristol Rovers.

"But I don't think many of my partnerships have been as successful as this one. We've scored 29 goals between us and there are still seven games to go so hopefully we can get a few more.

"There is a bit of competition between Stephen and myself to be top scorer, but it's not nearly as important as making sure the team get promoted.

"I mean, there is no way I'm going to shoot if Stephen is in a better position and vice-versa. I'd like to finish as the top goalscorer this season, but I'd much rather see Sunderland back in the Premiership."

Stewart - who fired Ipswich to a UEFA Cup place in 2001 with 21 goals - struggled to make an impact at the Stadium of Light when he made a move from Portman Road in the club's doomed Premiership campaign.

But, with his contract due to expire in June, he has enjoyed a revival this season and his form led to Cardiff boss Lennie Lawrence recently hailing him as the best striker he has seen so far in the division.

There is, though, a new addition to the competition for the Stewart-Elliott partnership and the towering veteran Brian Deane is available for selection at Queens Park Rangers today.

One thing Deane, 37, does offer McCarthy is a height and power that has been lacking ever since Kevin Kyle suffered the hip problem that has kept him out of action since August.

And Stewart has welcomed the addition of the former Middlesbrough man from Leeds.

"If you don't know what Brian Deane will bring to the squad then you haven't been in football very long. He will add a physical presence and some height. He gives the manager other options and with Kevin Kyle out, we've not really had that," said Stewart.

"He is 37 and has a vast amount of experience which he can pass on to the younger lads here. They will learn a lot from him.

" I'm also glad he is here because he's a lot older than me. I'm feeling young again, I think I'm only the third oldest now."

Read more about Sunderland here.