ADAM MATTHEWS has earned the right to say he wants to stay at Sunderland beyond this season by showing he deserves to be in the starting line-up, according to manager Jack Ross.

The Black Cats defender is out of contract at the end of the campaign when he will be free to leave after three years on Wearside.

But at the start of the week Matthews told The Northern Echo he is happier to stay at Sunderland more than ever after enjoying a new lease of life under Ross in League One.

Sunderland supporters would have been glad to see him depart before this season after a couple of disappointing years which left him unable to hold down a first team shirt and he had two spells with Bristol City on loan.

Now Ross feels he is benefiting from a run in the team and thinks the Welsh international has shown exactly what he is capable of and why Sunderland signed him.

“You don’t always say what you think as a player, so I would always go with the feel I have for them first, if they are backing up what they are saying publicly then great,” said Ross.

“In Adam’s case, his mood around the training ground and the way he trains every day, has been shown in his performances, that it’s not just words. I like him and I get on well with him.”

And having shown he deserves to hold down his shirt, former full-back Ross thinks Matthews has the ability to stay in his thoughts for the longer term.

Ross said: “I have been delighted with him. I had a few chats with him earlier in the season, he was one of those I knew quite well from his time in Scotland. I was probably a bit surprised the way he started the season, I knew what he was capable of.

“We had some good conversations about where he was at and what the future held for him. He is still young, mid-20s, I am pleased he has responded to that. He is showing the form that is probably the reason why Sunderland signed him in the first place.

“What I wasn’t aware of until recently was that he had never had a consistent run of games. That has helped him, to have that consistency of selection. It has helped his consistency of performance.

“There are a number of players who fall into that category, who wanted to play Championship level minimum. It is how we get them there with us. That remains to be seen over the coming months. We as a club need to make sure we have the right players if we get there and that will help have an influence over what players we have in the future.”

Matthews has played plenty Championship football and he will be looking to help Sunderland take another step towards a return there by beating leaders Portsmouth this afternoon.

Pompey are five points clear of Sunderland, who have Luton above them too, and Matthews is looking forward to playing in front of a sell-out Fratton Park. The defender also feels regardless of the positions in the table, Ross’ team is capable of beating every team in the division.

Matthews said: “It is a big game but we can go there confident after what we did second half against Bristol Rovers last weekend, when we created plenty chances.

“Our target from the start was to win the league and that is no change, so we will be going there looking to close the gap.

“We would take top two in the table, but I think everyone in the team has one goal and that is to win the league. That’s the main thing.

“But you have to make things happen in football, they don’t just happen, so we have to keep doping what we have been doing and winning games.

“It is looking good, we need to win those games in hand. We need to keep grinding out results and if we do then I can’t see anyone stopping us.”