AMERICAN midfield star Claudio Reyna believes his home debut match-winner will be the start of a merry Christmas for Sunderland.

The 28-year-old midfielder, whose £4.5m transfer from Glasgow Rangers equalled the club record, delighted home fans in the 48,013 crowd when he broke the deadlock in the 77th minute against Everton with a close-range strike he hopes will be watched on television by his family in New York. The victory, hard on the heels of a disappointing defeat at Southampton, now sets up the Wearsiders for two difficult away games at Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day and Ipswich on Saturday.

Reyna said: "The holiday programme is very important for us and beating Everton is a great start - now we will be looking to take something from the games against Blackburn and Ipswich.

"This win will give us confidence - it is good to move up the table a bit because you play with less tension and less pressure. "Hopefully this will calm us down a bit and allow us to go away and play better."

Reyna, enjoying life in the Premier League, thinks his goal will be shown in the United States and he will be telling his family to watch out for his first goal for his new club.

He said: "There are a lot of football fans in America and with a few of us playing across here now it gives them more interest - it is something extra for them to associate with.

"I can't pretend it was a great strike from long range - it was just a tap in. But a goal is a goal and I'll take it.

"I just hope my family will be able to see it on television."

Reyna relishes the week-to-week challenge of playing in the Premiership - a contrast to his time at Rangers, where the "Old Firm" derbies with Celtic were the focus of attention.

He said: "I have only played two games in the Premier League and I've quickly learned that anyone can beat anyone - from the top to the bottom it is such a tight race.

"Week in and week out you have to play well or you will be punished.

"It is a League which is valued by all football fans - in America the highlights of all the games are shown.

"It is the League watched more than any other because of the excitement of the games and the quality of the players - it is followed very closely.

"I watched Sunderland play a couple of times when I was across there."

Sunderland manager Peter Reid was delighted with the way Rayner and Gavin McCann linked up.

He said: "McCann and Reyna complement each other, but we have competition for places in there.

"I think Claudio will get us goals - he has got that in is play. He goes into goalscoring positions with a desire to score, which has been lacking.

"Claudio makes things happen and his ability to handle a football will give us time."

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