After a successful season that took off once Alex Neil was appointed as manager, Sunderland were able to gain promotion to the Championship.

However, despite their joy over promotion, they will also be eager to turn their attention towards next season and ensuring they have a squad that is able to compete in the league above.

Not only will they be keen to stay in the league themselves, but there is plenty of pressure externally that Sunderland should be competing given their history in the higher leagues.

Former Black Cats striker Louis Saha, who played for the club in the Premier League during the 2012-13 season, is the latest to set the club an ambitious target as he told BoyleSports Betting (via Sunderland Echo): "It's amazing that they've come back from such a difficult situation that they were in.

"They need to aim to get back in the Premier League as soon as possible because they have a huge stadium full of amazing fans who can't wait to see the game against Newcastle again."

Another thing Alex Neil's side are competing with at the moment is trying to hang on to top scored Ross Stewart whose 26 league goals last season are earning him some attention from Rangers this summer.

However, Saha has urged the striker that the Stadium of Light is the place to be as he said: "Ross Stewart is on fire and he knows he's an attractive player for a club like rangers and I think he could be swayed by a move there.

"I think that staying in the Championship is best because you'll then have that base to show that you can make the step up and I also think that when you want to improve as a player, stability at one club is best so I would suggest that Ross stays at Sunderland next season and waits for a move."

The Verdict: 

Sunderland had a successful season this year and with that comes the pressure to carry on doing well as well as the possibility of losing top players.

Given the Black Cats' history as a club in a higher league, it comes as no surprise that they are being challenged by many, especially those who played for them in the top flight, to get back to the top as this is where they feel as though they belong.

In terms of Ross Stewart's future, you can understand why there is the interest from Rangers and it's still hard to tell where he will be next season.

Furthermore, with the uncertainty of how Sunderland will actually do in the league above, it makes it a tough decision for the striker.