Jack Rodwell sets sights on swift return to Premier League as Sunderland midfielder promises his side will be raring to go

  • Jack Rodwell admitted Sunderland players have let supporters down this season 
  • Midfielder believes focus must turn to summer and coming back stronger 
  • He said: 'This is a great club and I'm sure we can bounce back up'
  • Sunderland went out with a whimper in 5-1 loss to Chelsea on final day

Jack Rodwell has already set his sights on helping Sunderland make a swift return to the Premier League after a disastrous campaign drew to a depressing conclusion.

Sunday's 5-1 defeat by champions Chelsea did not measurably change anything for the Black Cats - they were already relegated and guaranteed to finish bottom of the table before they arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Rather, it put the club out of its misery as a season which had lurched from one disaster to another finally came to an end, leaving manager David Moyes and his players to contemplate a first season outside the top flight for 10 years.

Jack Rodwell is aiming for a quick return to the Premier League next season with Sunderland

Jack Rodwell is aiming for a quick return to the Premier League next season with Sunderland

Midfielder Rodwell said: 'Now we can focus on having a good summer and coming back raring to go. It is a big season for us next season and it is our main focus now.


'It's difficult, but we just have to focus on next season now. It's not been the season we wanted. We're disappointed and feel we've let the fans down. We want to give them something to cheer next season.

'No-one wants that [relegation], but this is a great club and I'm sure we can bounce back up.'

If the result was not bad enough, Sunderland also found themselves under fire from certain quarters for acceding to a request to put the ball out of play to allow Chelsea captain John Terry to be substituted after 26 minutes.

The midfielder admitted Sunderland players have let the supporters down this season

The midfielder admitted Sunderland players have let the supporters down this season

David Moyes' team finished the season with a 5-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

David Moyes' team finished the season with a 5-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

Moyes was diplomatic when asked about Terry's send-off after the final whistle and, in fairness, he has bigger fish to fry.

He is due to meet owner Ellis Short and chief executive Martin Bain this week to discuss the blueprint for the club's future direction, which he presented them with earlier this month, with funds once again certain to be tight.

Those talks are likely to determine his continued presence or otherwise on Wearside after a first season at the Stadium of Light which yielded only 24 points and fulfilled his prediction, after just two games, that the club was engaged in a relegation fight.

Jack Rodwell said Sunderland have a crucial summer ahead and will be raring to go

Rodwell said Sunderland have a crucial summer ahead and will be raring to go

That, coupled with a mid-season team bonding trip to New York which failed to pay tangible dividends and his 'slap' comment to a female reporter which remains the subject of an Football Association charge, have simply served to fuel the fires of his detractors.

Sunderland have eight players out of contract this summer and three more loan signings returning to their parent clubs.

With striker Jermain Defoe seemingly set to take advantage of a relegation release clause and keeper Jordan Pickford attracting interest from elsewhere, there will be major close-season changes at the Stadium of Light.

Whether Short will trust Moyes to oversee that - and if the Scot is prepared to do so - remains to be seen.