Sunderland have reportedly held talks with Jamie McAllister over a deal that would see him reunite with Lee Johnson at the Stadium of Light and the new Black Cats boss has confirmed his former teammate has already been working with him at the North East club.

Johnson was appointed as Phil Parkinson's permanent replacement on Saturday ahead of the defeat to Wigan, a game which may have outlined the task facing him at the North East club.

Chronicle Live reported on Sunday that the club had opened negotiations with McAllister, who played alongside Johnson and was his assistant at Bristol City, and the new manager has since revealed that the Scotsman has already joined him at Sunderland.

He explained (via Chronicle Live): "Jamie was here today, helping to take training and that is one thing we are certainly looking to do.

"I think it's important that we have some stability in the staff, we are not looking to come in and kill everybody off!

"We want to make sure that everyone has that security and then, just like the players, they can express their personality."

Reports last week suggested that McAllister, who left Ashton Gate a few months after Johnson in the summer, was being considered to take charge at Gloucester City but it appears he has chosen to head to the North East instead.

The former defender was the new Sunderland manager's teammate at Bristol City for five and a half years and served as his assistant during his four-year spell as manager of the Bs3 outfit.

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The Verdict

It's no surprise to see Johnson bringing in someone he clearly trusts and has a lot of faith in as he looks to turn things around at Sunderland.

McAllister's presence at the Black Cats' training sessions would suggest that it is only a matter of time before he is confirmed as joining his former teammate's backroom staff, though it seems the new manager is not looking to shake things up too much.

The Scotsman can be a fiery character on the sideline, something that could make him popular among Sunderland fans if results start going the right way.