Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand has vowed to excel in his new found starting role at the club.
Centre-half reaping the benefits of injury crisis
Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand has vowed to excel in his new found starting role at the club.
Injuries to Titus Bramble, Michael Turner and now John Mensah have propelled Ferdinand to the front of the queue for centre-half at the Stadium of Light.
And the former West Ham man has not let boss Steve Bruce down so far, putting in a particularly good display against Bolton during Saturday's 1-0 home win.
"All I have asked for is a run of games and I seem to be getting that at the moment," said Ferdinand, who has made nine league starts this term.
"That's what I want to be judged on, a run of games, not one game here, one game there. I want to be judged on a run of games," he reiterated.
"It's just nice to know that I am a big part of the team at the moment and needed. That only breeds confidence into a player and that's what it is doing to me.
"It has been a rollercoaster, but hopefully that's the end of the rollercoaster now and all my niggles are behind me."
Despite the defensive crisis, Saturday's result over the Trotters was Sunderland's 10th clean sheet of the season and their ninth in the Premier League.
