ALFRED N'DIAYE claims Paolo Di Canio's hardline approach has come as nothing new to Sunderland's foreign players.

Di Canio has turned the Black Cats dressing room upside down since replacing Martin O'Neill two months ago, and his attempts to transform his squad continued yesterday with confirmation that Titus Bramble will leave when his contract expires at the end of next month.

Di Canio has fined nine of his players in an attempt to stamp out the indiscipline he regards as rife, and described some of his squad members as "ignorant and arrogant" in the wake of last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Tottenham.

The Sunderland boss has introduced a strict new training regime that even stretches to banning certain sauces and accompaniments in the Academy of Light canteen, and insists he will continue to keep fining his players if their time keeping and professionalism does not improve next season.

The Professional Footballers' Association have criticised Di Canio's conduct, with at least two of the organisation's members having questioned the validity of their fines.

However, N'Diaye has sought to downplay the extent of the frustration at Di Canio's abrasive managerial style, and hinted that it is Sunderland's British players who have struggled to come to terms with the Italian's approach.

"I have an Italian manager who is very similar to what I am used to from France", said NDiaye, who joined Sunderland in a £4m move from Turkish side Bursaspor in January. "His mentality is no different for me.

"It is more different for English players, but for me it is normal. For me, the discipline is normal. When I played in France, I am used to it. For me, football is like that. For me, it is okay.

"The new manager has a new mentality, but for me and everybody it is not a problem. It is a new mentality, but we accept it.

"Next season, we will move forward together. We will play better and move forward."

N'Diaye was the least heralded of Martin O'Neills signings during his time at the Stadium of Light, but the French midfielder was one of Sunderland's most consistent players in the second half of the season.

He settled into life in the Premier League reasonably quickly, and became the Black Cats' first-choice defensive midfielder in the absence of Lee Cattermole.

What happens when the Sunderland skipper returns remains to be seen, but given that Di Canio has not yet worked with Cattermole, it should not be assumed that N'Diaye will automatically slip below the former Middlesbrough trainee in the pecking order.

Di Canio has spoken of the 23-year-old in admiring terms, and N'Diaye is confident he will continue to progress in his first full season in England.

"I have enjoyed life in England so far," he said. "We have not had the results that I wanted to have, but I really enjoyed my first six months here.

"I like the football, it really suits me. It is fast football, it is about the fight and I love this. And the Premier League is just fantastic - big stadiums, the fans are incredible and the atmosphere at Sunderland is amazing.

"Every week the stadium is full and we have big support. I like this and I want to help bring success to this club."

Bramble will no longer be part of that project as Di Canio will not be offering the centre-half a new deal.

Having joined in a £1m move from Wigan in 2010, Bramble will leave Wearside with a record of 51 senior appearances in a Sunderland shirt.

There were occasional flashes of the form that once made him one of the most promising defenders in the country, but his performances were blighted by errors and off-field controversies continued to dog the former Newcastle defender throughout his second spell in the North-East.

Bramble, who has been linked with a possible move to the United States, tweeted: "I've had a great three years and would like to thank every SAFC fan for the support they have shown.

"The NE is a special place to play and will always be close to my heart. I wish the club and my teammates all the best for the future."