There has been a lot of change at Sunderland in the past few months, with a new owner and a new manager bringing a lot of optimism to the club.

However, there's still a lot more to be done to the club as they look to win promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

And, the club have made a significant appointment as they strive towards achieving that goal with Tony Coton returning to the club as head of recruitment.

The 57-year old, who spent six months on Wearside as a player, joins from Aston Villa whilst he has also worked for Manchester United, Wigan and Bolton in the past.

His new role will see him play a crucial role in identifying new talent for the team and Coton revealed how much he was looking forward to working with the new boss when speaking to the official site.

"Having met Jack Ross, I have been hugely impressed by his vision of how he wants his Sunderland team to play and I am enthused by the challenge of bringing in the players we need to realise that vision."

The Verdict

This is a good appointment by Sunderland and should help the recruitment side of things, which has been disgraceful over the past few years.

Coton has a wealth of experience and knows the football league which will be vital as they look to bring in players to help them out of the third tier.

Now, it's important he develops a good understanding with Ross to help Sunderland succeed.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.