Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has paid tribute to defender Bailey Wright for his contribution to his side's 2-1 win over MK Dons on Saturday afternoon.

Wright, who has been linked with a move to Wigan this summer, was brought on as a substitute during the Black Cats' win at The Stadium MK, coming on with just under 20 minutes of normal time remaining.

That was shortly after Troy Parrott had pulled a goal for MK Dons to make the score 2-1, but Wright's presence was able to help Sunderland see the game out, make it two wins from two games at the start of the League One season.

Now it seems as though Johnson has been particularly impressed with Wright's recent contributions to the side, not least in that win on Saturday.

Speaking about the centre back after the game, the Black Cats' boss was quoted by the Sunderland Echo as saying: "Yeah, that was Bailey at his best and to be fair I think that's been the case in his last three games.

"In our pre-season friendly at Tranmere Rovers I thought he was very good, and then last week he came on against Wigan and I thought he really helped shore us up and get the win.

"He played well in the cup game at Port Vale as well, and was probably our top performer alongside Anthony Patterson. I'm very, very happy to have him back to his best."

Next up for Wright - who is into the final year of his contract at The Stadium of Light - and his Sunderland teammates, is a trip to the Pirelli Stadium to face Burton Albion on Tuesday night.

The Verdict

It will certainly be a boost for Sunderland if Wright is indeed now back to his best.

The centre back has previously shown that he is a more than reliable operator in the Championship, meaning he could be really useful for the Black Cats in a League One promotion battle.

As a result, with Wright having seemingly struggled for form towards the back end of last season, the fact he now appears to be back playing to his peak will surely be a relief for those in charge at The Stadium of Light.

Indeed, that could now give Sunderland something to think about with regards to Wright's contract, since they may want to risk losing the defender on the cheap if his form serves to generate yet more interest in him.