Former Huddersfield Town boss Simon Grayson remains “100 per cent” convinced he is the man to drag Sunderland out of trouble, after having the “balls” to take the job in the first place.

Grayson left Preston during the summer to step into the shoes vacated by David Moyes in the wake of the Black Cats’ relegation from the Premier League, but just 14 games into the Sky Bet Championship campaign, finds himself under intense pressure.

The Black Cats have not won a league game in 12 attempts heading into Tuesday night’s basement battle with Bolton at the Stadium of Light, where the home fans last saw their side collect three points on December 17 last year.

But asked if he can turn an increasingly difficult situation around, a defiant Grayson, who won promotion with Town in 2012, said: “One hundred per cent.

Video Loading

“I have been through stages in my career as a manager, as a player where I have had tough times and not quit or anything like that.

“I stick my chest out - I’m at the front of this big football club, fantastic football club and I am here to really try to galvanise and get it going again.

“I keep saying on a weekly basis, I had a comfortable job at Preston, but I had the balls to come to this football club and show what I wanted to do and trust my ability that I can make a good club great again.

“There are a lot of obstacles that have got in the way since I have been here and other obstacles that I probably didn’t realise were going to be put in front of me which I have had to deal with, and that’s why I’ll come through this, hopefully very quickly and we are all looking at a different Sunderland Football Club in the near future.”

Sunderland have collected a paltry nine points from their opening 14 games and only five of the last 36 on offer, but Grayson is adamant he is the right man for the job.

He said: “Do I think I am the right man for the job? Of course I do. I can’t think of too many other people in football who would be in a better position or could do a better job than I am doing at this moment in time.”