Will Dick Advocaat want the Sunderland job after end of season?

Sunderland will secure their Premier League status in today’s survival showdown against Leicester City, if the Black Cats register a third successive victory, plus third bottom Hull fail to win at Spurs.

If that scenario materialises, Advocaat will have fulfilled his remit of keeping Sunderland in the top flight after he was handed a short-term deal to replace the sacked Gus Poyet two months ago.

Advocaat, who has taken 10 points from his six games in charge, has always stressed that he would discuss his long-term future at the Stadium of Light at the end of the campaign, despite suggestions in his native Holland that he will return home in the summer.

But despite making such a positive impression on Sunderland’s campaign, Advocaat insists his own pails into insignificance compared to the magnitude of Premier League survival.

Advocaat said: “That subject will have to wait until after the season.

“In principal we came for the nine games, and at the end we will see what happens.

“This game is much more important than my position.

“Let’s wait until everyone knows what the position is for the club.”

Sunderland opted to hand Advocaat a short-term contract to give them the breathing space to consider their options at the end of the season and appoint a permanent successor to Poyet.

As reported yesterday, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is not thought to be under consideration, with Sunderland looking for a head coach to fit into their management structure.

Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement remains one of the leading contenders, while reports in Italy yesterday suggested ex-Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri could be in the running.

But if Advocaat is willing to prolong the final position of his career, the former Holland manager has not done his chances any harm of extending his Sunderland stint.

Advocaat admits he is relishing his first experience of the Premier League too, and believes Sunderland’s players have responded to his methods.

“We are really enjoying what we are doing and we are seeing that back from the players,” he said.

“Everybody knows their task in the team, and also with the staff. That gives peace of mind to everyone.

“Everyone knows what they can bring, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to win three times in six games after four wins in 26 games earlier this season.

“That’s the reason we are in this position.

“This league and the atmosphere and the stadiums is more or less what we had at Rangers, only the competition is totally different.”