FOR Mart Poom, the enormity of Derby County's relegation last season did not sink in on the day that their fate was sealed.

Instead, the full impact was only felt when the fixture list for this campaign was published - and he discovered Derby's first game would be against Reading.

Poom, along with teammates Marcus Stewart (Ipswich Town) and Matty Piper (Leicester City), has now fallen out of the Premiership twice in succession.

Even now, four months before the 2003-04 season, he is dreading the prospect of swapping Old Trafford and Highbury for the likes of Priestfield and Millmoor.

Poom, 31, said: "I know from experience that it really hits you that you're down when you see the fixture list for the new season.

"The Premiership is a glamour League with all the big grounds and top-class players against you every week.

"The Nationwide League, on the other hand, is very demanding with more games and more travelling. It will be a long, hard season.

"The football you come up against is more direct and physical, and you have to win the battle first before you can play your game.

"You can't underestimate any teams in the First Division, and Sunderland will be a massive scalp because we'll have just come down from the Premiership.

"Everybody wants to beat you when you've just been relegated. Teams will enjoy playing at the Stadium of Light because they'll have nothing to lose.

"That will create pressure on us, and there will be a lot of hard games and hard battles."

Even though he is anticipating an arduous First Division campaign, goalkeeper Poom wants to help Sunderland make an immediate return to the Premiership.

The £900,000 Estonia international is anxious not to be one of up to 15 players that Mick McCarthy will decide to move on this summer.

But after Derby hit serious financial trouble, having tried to keep their squad together, Poom believes Sunderland can learn from their painful experience.

He said: "I want to stay. I've signed a three-year contract and I want to help Sunderland get back in the Premiership next season.

"There's no point having regrets. I knew there was fierce competition in the goalkeeping department, but when I signed in November I didn't think we'd get relegated.

"The financial situation means some players will have to leave because the club will have to bring in money with the TV revenue going down.

"At Derby, mistakes were made last summer when they have good offers for players, including me, and they decided not to pursue them.

"Derby hoped they could bounce straight back, but a couple of months later the financial reality hit them hard.

"That meant players left in the winter, and me, Malcolm Christie, Chris Riggott and Danny Higginbotham all left. We were all regulars.

"One lesson for Sunderland is to plan carefully. You have to look at all the scenarios because you can't take it for granted that you'll go straight back up.

"Of course, that has to be our goal, but every club has found it hard when they've been relegated, especially financially."

Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy absolved Poom of blame for last week's defeat at Birmingham City and is relishing the chance to work with him next season.

McCarthy said: "Mart Poom is a good goalkeeper and a great lad, and I'm delighted he wants to stay.

"He's had problems with injuries but he's flying in training at the moment and I'm happy with him.

"For Birmingham's first goal, the finish was from another world. The keeper's punch could have gone anywhere but it dropped to Bryan Hughes's feet."