Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher has urged for stability at the club after playing under no fewer than four managers in a little over two years.

Current manager Dick Advocaat is expected to retire from football after leading the club to Premier League safety but Fletcher has implored him to remain so the Black Cats can experience some constancy.

"It's massively important to learn from this lesson and to get some stability here," Fletcher said. "We don't want to keep going down to the last games of the season having to fight for our lives.

"Whatever manager takes over next season, we need him to steady the ship and get a few points early doors rather than scrambling for them at the end.

"Whatever happens this summer there's going to be a new manager who will have to come in and put their stamp on the side. If they want to bring in a few players and get rid of some, so be it. But it needs to be their team.

"Every time a new manager comes in he's working with someone else's team. It's important we get a long-term manager in who can sort the team out from day one."