WHO is the best defender in the Premier League? John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, William Gallas? Well statistics can lie, but listen to the number-crunchers at Opta and they will tell you that the best defender in the English top-flight is none other than Sunderland centre- half Nyron Nosworthy.

When Nosworthy makes a tackle, there is an 86 per cent probability of it being successful.

Nobody else can boast that - Terry and Ferdinand struggle with a success rate of less than 80 per cent - so it is little wonder that the 27-year-old has become a firm fans' favourite.

"They try to take the ball past Nyron, he says no, no, no", sing the Stadium of Light faithful, to the tune of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab". And if the evidence collated by Opta's army of statisticians is anything to go by, they are almost always right.

"I think my tackling has gradually developed over the last two or three years," said Nosworthy, whose form has helped the Black Cats keep four clean sheets in their last seven games.

"The more you play in the Premier League, and the more you play and train with other topclass defenders, the more you improve as a player.

"I know I need to keep on learning, but I'm happy with the way things are going in terms of the development of my game.

"Playing at centre-half is different to playing at full-back, and that's something I've had to take on board in the last couple of seasons.

"When you're playing at centre- half, especially against some of the top teams in the table, you can't make the same type of tackles you might make at right-back.

You have to manage your game a lot better.

"I think I'm still a defender who likes to get in and make a tackle, but I'd also like to think I was a bit better at choosing when to make my tackles now.

"You still have to express yourself, but you have to know when and where to do that."

Nosworthy will be at the heart of Sunderland's back four as they entertain Everton on Sunday, and it is hardly co-incidental that the former Gillingham defender was absent as the Black Cats crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season at Goodison Park in November.

Sunderland conceded seven as Everton ran riot, and Nosworthy admits some of his team-mates will be out for revenge this weekend.

"I didn't play in that game, but I know it's on the minds of some of the players that did," he said.

"I wouldn't say we were out for revenge, but I would say we have a bit of a point to prove after losing like that.

"It was obviously a very disappointing afternoon. It's a little bit different for me, but I suppose you could say we had a score to settle."

■ Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards have been called up for Trinidad & Tobago's friendly with Jamaica on March 26.

The game in Kingston is sandwiched between Sunderland's crucial Premier League matches with Aston Villa and West Ham.