Keane aiming for early promotion

Roy Keane's managerial debut is against Derby

New Sunderland manager Roy Keane has admitted he is aiming to return the club to the Premiership next season.

Chairman Niall Quinn has said there is no pressure for the ex-Manchester United star to get the club back into the top flight immediately.

But on the eve of his first game in charge on Saturday, Keane said: "I do not really intend on going through the motions and staying around the bottom.

"We are looking to win matches, and then the rest takes care of itself."

Keane, speaking ahead of the game away at Derby, added: "I am not looking to get ahead of myself, but with the squad of players we have got, the support we have got, why not?"

Sunderland were relegated with a record low total of 15 points last season, in the course of which former chairman Bob Murray sacked manager Mick McCarthy.

Dwight Yorke is a fantastic signing Sir Alex Ferguson Man Utd manager

Quinn heads an Irish consortium that took over the club in the summer, and Keane's arrival - coupled with that of six new players on transfer deadline day - has boosted the club's hopes.

Keane's former boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has backed his choice of new players, particularly Dwight Yorke, another United old boy Liam Miller and former Wigan midfielder Graham Kavanagh.

Ferguson said: "Dwight is a fantastic signing. He was brilliant when he trained with us last season and when you look at his statistics from the World Cup, he won the ball more times than any other player.

"Liam Miller is a terrific addition as well because I believe him to be a very good player, it was just that the number of midfielders I have at United made it very difficult for him.

"Kavanagh has the experience of playing in the Premiership and Roy knows him from the Republic of Ireland, so that is three good signings."

Keane has already asked Ferguson for advice several times, but has not called since the transfer deadline closed at the end of August.

"Roy probably got fed up of phoning me," said Ferguson.

"He was a bit worried about whether he could get anyone in on the final day.

"All I tried to tell him was it didn't really matter because even if he didn't get anyone, the performance Sunderland produced against West Brom last week (for the team's first win of the season) was better than any signing."