Sunderland hero Niall Quinn has welcomed their imminent deal for Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe.

Quinn predicts the ex-England striker can have the same impact at the Stadium of Light as former hotshots Kevin Phillips and Darren Bent.

He told the Daily Star: "He'll ignite the place. It's a great deal.

"I watched Sunderland's defeat against Liverpool last week and they looked really flat.

"Under Gus, they're hard to beat but it had become obvious, they needed a bit more in attack.

"Defoe can provide that. He's a natural goalscorer, one of the best around and crucially, he's still hungry."

Quinn added: "Kevin did it when I was there and then Darren hit the ground running when he arrived from Tottenham.

"I see particular comparisons between the Bent deal and this one.

"Darren arrived feeling he had something to prove because he didn't get the rub of the green at Tottenham.

"Jermain will have heard all the whispers about his age and that after a year in Toronto, he may have lost his edge but he'll love that and see it as a challenge."