American owner Ellis Short and Chairman Niall Quinn have announced Sunderland putting pen to paper with Steve Bruce on a three year deal believed to be in the 60,000 Pound a week area.  On the backside of the deal Wigan is alleged to have agreed to slightly less than 3 Million Pound in compensation over the loss of the entire coaching staff.

Via TheGaurdian 

“Steve will bring a professionalism and strength of character to this club that will really help to bring us forward to where we all want to be,” said Niall Quinn, Sunderland’s chairman.

“He knows more than anyone what football means to people of this region and I’m confident that he will be able to instil into our players exactly what it means to play for this football club.”

Bruce will be joined on Wearside by coaches Eric Black, Nigel Spink and Keith Bertschin, who have agreed to follow him from Wigan.

They eventually opened face-to-face talks with the former Manchester United defender on Monday evening after he flew from a family holiday in Portugal to meet Quinn in Ireland.

Those discussions, over personal terms and the shape of Bruce’s coaching staff, finally came to a close on Wearside today as Ricky Sbragia’s successor was appointed.

Bruce began his managerial career at Sheffield United in July 1998, and has since been in charge at Huddersfield, Crystal Palace and Birmingham as well as his two spells, the first of them for just a few months, at Wigan.

He guided the Latics to an 11th-place finish last season but with the American businessman Ellis Short having taken over at Sunderland with the promise of serious investment, the club represent a very different prospect.

There have been suggestions that Short could be prepared to hand Bruce a £60m budget, although having seen Roy Keane spend almost £80m in two years to build a squad which only just avoided relegation, he is looking for value for money.

He has also set the manager the challenge of securing a top-10 finish next season and, in doing so, take the club to the next level.

Wigan’s chairman, Dave Whelan, feels “devastated” by Bruce’s departure but insists the club will move on quickly. “Everyone associated with Wigan is devastated that Steve and Eric have gone, we would be lying if we said any different,” said Whelan.

“But things can change very quickly and I have always said I would not stand in anyone’s way who wishes to leave the club, as long as the terms are in the best interest of Wigan.”

Image via GetMinted