Sunderland favourite Kevin Phillips is excited about what the future holds for the Black Cats under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

The businessman concluded a deal for the Wearside outfit earlier in the year and he has quickly made his mark, making several off-field decisions as he looks to transform the club.

And, reports from The Sun claimed that he was prepared to invest up to £60m in the years to come in order to take Sunderland back to the Premier League.

That news understandably pleased the support, and, speaking to Football Insider, Phillips was optimistic about the direction the club are heading, even if he recognises promotion this season is the priority.

"It would be massive. It would be one of the biggest budgets in the Championship, if not the biggest. It is huge money. Let’s hope that they get there so Lee Johnson has the chance to spend that kind of money.

"If Sunderland do get promotion, and that money is spent wisely, with a full crowd back in the Stadium of Light, you start to get a little bit excited. We need to get there first though. There is still a lot of work to be done on the pitch this season."

The verdict

Phillips' positivity reflects the entire Sunderland fan base right now, as Louis-Dreyfus has shown he means business and is speaking well.

The report outlining the potential spending ability next season is very exciting, and it suggests that they could be looking at another promotion if they do go up.

However, as Phillips reiterates, there's no point looking too far ahead. The only thing now is winning promotion to the Championship and that's going to be a tough ask given how competitive the third tier is.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.