KEVIN KYLE has admitted the next four months will determine his future at Sunderland Football Club.

The former Irish Sea Ferries baggage handler, who scored for the reserves last night, continued his comeback from a long-standing hip complaint by successfully coming through 80 minutes in the reserves 3-0 win over Blackburn at Durham last night.

If all goes to plan the 24-year-old could be in contention for a first-team place in the next fortnight, and Kyle revealed a new one-year deal at the Stadium of Light is waiting for him if he can prove his fitness.

But the Stranraer-born striker is determined to continue his career whatever happens in the coming months, and is prepared to try his luck elsewhere if Sunderland decide against offering him a 12-month extension.

"My contract runs out in May and I know I need to prove that I'm worth a new one," said Kyle, who last played in a 1-0 defeat at Reading in August 2004. "If I can't get one here - and I desperately want to - I need to get one elsewhere.

"The club has the option of giving me another year. It's entirely up to them and, from that point of view, the ball is in their court.

"When I was injured, Sunderland gave themselves the option of immediately extending my contract for another year in May.

"They didn't want to invest time and money in getting me fit and then see me walk off to another club this summer.

"That's totally understandable, but it's not guaranteed. They could decide they don't want to do that and then I'd be left without a club.

"That puts pressure on me, but it's not really any different to anyone else. I want to get another year here at Sunderland and then push on from there. If that goes to plan, we can think about extending it even further somewhere down the line."

The 6ft 3ins striker has endured a nightmare spell on the sidelines with surgeons initially unable to get to the bottom of the problem that has plagued the Scotland international for around two years.

He has undergone surgery on two separate operations and received a succession of painkilling injections to treat the condition that was threatening to curtail his career.

He is expected to step up his rehabilitation by following up last night's 80-minute run-out with another game for Sunderland's second string against Manchester United tomorrow.

Kyle said: "Things are getting better every day.

"The more training I'm doing, the fitter I'm getting.

"I'm coming to the training ground early on a morning and doing a bit of extra work with the fitness coach, trying to work on my speed.

"Then I'm staying behind for a bit after training has finished to try to improve my touch and shooting.

"I'm wanting to do as much as I can because I want to be able to do myself justice when I get back on the pitch.

"It's close to getting back now and this is the most important period.

"It's just a case of getting match fit now."

* Sunderland are close to agreeing a deal with Leeds United for teenage striker Kevin Smith. The 18-year-old is a regular in the Yorkshiremen's reserve side but is yet to play for the first -team.

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