SUNDERLAND'S new youth supremo Kees Zwamborn warned last night that he would not be a Wearside miracle worker as he insisted: "I'm not a magician."

Zwamborn, the former head of Ajax's famed academy, claims he would be doing a good job if one player graduated to the Sunderland first team every year.

The Dutchman has been recruited to spearhead a youth system that has worked only spasmodically in recent years.

But as Zwamborn completed his first week at the club's new Academy of Light, he insisted his appointment would not reap immediate rewards for Howard Wilkinson's senior squad.

He said: "I'm not a magician. We may have to wait two or three years for the effect to be felt.

"Can I have much of an influence on the Under-17 and Under-19 players? I don't know.

"As a youth coach, you're very successful if you bring through one top player a year."

Zwamborn helped in the development of midfielder Rafael van der Vaart at Ajax as he maintained the Amsterdam club's reputation as the breeding ground for a posse of talented youngsters.

Now, he has the task of transforming the fortunes of Sunderland's youth scheme at their grandiose new headquarters in Whitburn - and he has already decided to change the Black Cats' training regime. Zwamborn said: "Everything seems to be at full speed and there are nerves at times. Maybe more detail needs to be used, but the coaches want to change and that's important.

"I like to train in game situations, but I've noticed that a lot of training here is removed from what happens in a game.

"A coach has to give young players guidance in what to do but he has to let them explore themselves; he has to tell them what is possible but not tell them exactly what they should do.

"There are a lot of big clubs in Britain, but I know that for a Sunderland boy the only thing you want to do is play for Sunderland, and that's an advantage.

"There are a large number of young players around here and I don't think the first team's League position has a big influence on my work.

"Of course relegation would be a pity because it's nicer to play in the Premier League than the First Division, but my job is to create a very good youth department.

"I've seen a lot of training sessions here and I'm not disappointed about the standards shown by the teams I've watched.

"You need to get to players when they're as young as possible because that gives you more of a chance of turning them into a great talent.

"I want to influence the coaches who are working with the players from the age of nine upwards because that's a more important age than 16.

"Young people in Holland are the same as young people here, but it's harder here because it's difficult to cooperate with schools so that younger players can come here to train. That's something I have to try to improve."

Meanwhile, Grimsby Town chairman Peter Furneaux claimed last night that Sunderland chairman Bob Murray had rejected his attempt to turn John Oster's loan move from the Black Cats into a permanent deal.

Oster has impressed in two spells with his former team this season and scored five goals in ten appearances for the First Division strugglers towards the end of 2002.

Furneaux revealed that he understood the Welsh winger was available for just £75,000, but Murray rebuffed his interest.

Furneaux said: "John Oster is not for sale. I was sat next to Bob Murray at the Worthington Cup final and asked him several times about the player.

"I made the enquiry and asked him again, but he made it absolutely plain that the player was not for sale. I think they see him in their plans for the future.