Steve Bruce will look to transform Sunderland's Barclays Premier League fortunes after he was appointed manager of the club in June 2009.

He arrived at the Stadium of Light after an 18-month stint at Wigan Athletic, where he performed heroics by first helping the Latics beat the drop in 2008, before leading them to a mid-table finish at the end of the 2008/09 season.

It was Bruce's second spell at the JJB Stadium after a brief eight-match stint at the end of the 2000/01 season.

He started out in management as a player-manager with Sheffield United in the summer of 1998 and made 11 appearances for the Blades before hanging up his boots in November.
In his first season in the Bramall Lane hot-seat, Bruce led United to eighth in Division One - just missing out on the play-off places.

He left for Division One rivals Huddersfield Town shortly after the campaign ended and took them to an eighth-place finish, this time two points off the play-offs.

But a disappointing start to 2000/01 led to his dismissal in October and Bruce was out of work until April 2001 when Division Two club Wigan hired him for the first time.

Bruce proved his Midas touch by getting them into the play-offs, however luck deserted him as the Latics crashed out at the semi-final stage.

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan lured the out-of-contract manager to Selhurst Park with Bruce having taken charge of eight Wigan matches.

Palace had an excellent start to the season but Bruce was on the move again in November - six months into his tenure - with Palace top of the Division One table.

Birmingham City, the club where he spent two seasons as a player between 1996 and 1998, was his next stop after a compensation package was agreed between the two clubs.

Bruce enjoyed instant success at his former club by leading Blues from mid-table in the Championship to a 2002 play-off final victory over Norwich City and promotion to the Barclaycard Premier League.

With Blues back in the big time after a 16-year absence, Bruce's men comfortably survived with a 13th-place finish.

In 2003/04, he improved on that by steering the club to 10th position and 12th the following season.

The 2005/06 campaign proved more difficult for the Northumberland-born manager and Birmingham were relegated after four seasons in the top flight.

But he and Blues bounced back in style by winning promotion at the first attempt with a second-place finish, falling short of winning the Championship title on the last day.

Fifteen matches into the 2007/08 season, Bruce ended his spell with Birmingham after lowly Wigan enquired about bringing him back to the club.

Bruce took over the managerial reigns over at the JJB Stadium at the end of November 2007 with the Latics deep in the relegation zone.

He soon proved his managerial credentials once more, helping his new club avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League. In 2008/09, his first and only full season in charge, he led the side to an 11th place finish.

He was appointed Sunderland manager in June 2009, taking over from caretaker coach Ricky Sbragia.

100th Premier League match - Birmingham City 1-2 Fulham on 22/1/05
50th Premier League win - Derby County 0-1 Wigan Athletic on 12/01/08