DETERMINED Kevin Kyle last night threw down the gauntlet to Mick McCarthy's new £3m strikeforce when he declared: "Your shirts are only on loan".

McCarthy recently added Jonathan Stead, Andy Gray, Anthony Le Tallec and Daryl Murphy to his ranks as he strives to compete with the Premiership's elite.

The Black Cats boss was left with little option to add to his squad. Stephen Elliott and Chris Brown were Sunderland's only two fit forwards and Kyle's long-term injury and the departures of Marcus Stewart and Michael Bridges to Bristol City meant Sunderland had a dearth of attacking options on their return to the big time.

Kyle feared he had kicked his last ball for the Wearsiders after several unsuccessful operations failed to rectify the problem with his troublesome hip.

But the 24-year-old striker returned from a career-saving operation in America two weeks ago and is finally ready to embark on another gruelling rehabilitation programme in a bid to win his place back after being given the all-clear to play again.

Despite the new blood, Kyle admitted he's never felt his place was under any threat.

"There was never one time when the gaffer signed them that I thought they've took my place, it's just on loan," said Kyle, who reckons he will be back in full training by Christmas and playing by January.

"When I get fit I'm going to do enough in the reserve games to get my place and I'm fairly confident of that.

"I know the gaffer has said a lot of nice things about me and I know he respects me and rates me highly.

"And I think if I get back to the way I was then there is no reason why I can't get back in the team and help the boys stay up."

The big Scot admitted his successful operation has come as a massive relief and despite being on crutches for another six weeks his rehabilitation is well under way.

He is currently swimming and cycling in the gym and has a machine strapped to his leg every evening for eight hours which rotates the joint to stop it stiffening up. This process has to be repeated every night for the next eight weeks.

"I feel great and it's a massive weight off my shoulders," he confessed.

"From hearing my days were numbered to going out to seeing the best hip specialist in the world - in my opinion - I've now been given the opportunity to get back on track.

"It was a four-and-a-half hour operation and after that they threw me on to a bike for 20 minutes after surgery, which wasn't nice. It was a bit painful but they were just trying to get me going again.

"The surgeon, Dr Marc Phillipon, said I had two problems: I had an impingement where the joint was balanced and a tear around the capsule on my hip.

"He said I might get a few niggling pains here and there because I haven't done anything for so long but nothing major and he said he shouldn't see any reason why I can't get on with my career.

"He said 'by the looks of things they'll be needing you back'. He must have been checking on our results on the internet. I said to him it was early days yet."

Before last Christmas it would be fair to say Kyle's morale was at an all-time low and he was honest enough to admit he feared his career was over.

"I felt lower than a snake's belly," he quipped, his spirits obviously raised by the recent good news.

"I knew I was going to America and it was going to be a case of hit and miss, either jackpot or I was packing the game in and going back to being a baggage handler."

The big striker has predicted a change in fortunes for the Premiership's bottom club after losing the opening four fixtures.

"Hopefully we'll have picked up some points by the time I get back at Christmas," said the optimistic Kyle.

"I know it's going to be a difficult process because I have been out of football a long time. But I believe I have the character and determination to get back in there and get my place back.

"Aye, that sounds about right. It was my place and they've just borrowed it for a while."

* Defender Neill Collins, who is on loan at Hartlepool United from Sunderland, is likely to start for Scotland under-21's against Italy tonight.