DEAN Whitehead believes the Sunderland class of 2007 will be a far brighter proposition than the side which meekly surrendered their Premiership status two years ago.
The Black Cats skipper is one of the few remaining faces from the squad relegated with a record low points total of 15 in 2005, a campaign that cost Mick McCarthy his job on Wearside.
With Roy Keane expected to mastermind a summer of frenetic transfer activity, Whitehead is forecasting a very different side that takes to the Premiership stage in 11 weeks.
"It certainly feels different to our Championship win of two years ago, there's a different kind of buzz around the place," said Whitehead.
"I'm sure we'll see some new faces coming in over the summer and that's exciting. It gives everyone a fresh challenge and will hopefully give the club a fresh impetus to take in to the Premiership.
"It's nice to be able to enjoy some time off and look back on what we achieved last season, but it's also exciting to be looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting year back in the Premiership.
"It also represents a new challenge. We enjoyed the Championship win but it's important that we rise to the next challenge instead of settling for what we achieved."
Sunderland will also be sporting two new strips following the club's new kit deal with Umbro and a new shirt sponsorship deal with leading Irish bookmakers Boylesports.
A family fun event at the Stadium of Light from 5pm on Thursday, June 28, will kick-off the launch day and supporters can pre-order their shirts now via safc.com or the club's mail order hotline 0845 671 1973.
To pre-order your new white away shirt log on to safc.com, call the mail order hotline on 0845 671 1973 or call in to any official club store and pick up a pre-order leaflet.
Sunderland target Jussi Jaaskelainen wants a new four-year deal at Bolton.
The Finland goalkeeper's contract expires next summer and the Black Cats are believed to have already tabled a £2m bid, rejected by new Trotters boss Sammy Lee.
Jaaskelainen believes he should be rewarded for loyal service to Bolton, who will be playing in the UEFA Cup again next season.
He will chalk up ten years at the club in November and a testimonial could be a possibility.
However, Jaaskelainen insists that at 32 his best years are still ahead of him.
Jaaskelainen's season has not finished yet as he is in the Finland squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Serbia and Belgium on June 2 and 6.
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