Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren fearing Lee Cattermole display

Steve McClaren has told his Newcastle United troops to brace themselves for the tenacity of Lee Cattermole ahead of Sunday's trip to bitter North-East rivals Sunderland.

The former Middlesbrough manager knows more than most about the 27-year-old defensive midfielder, having given him his Premier League debut against the Magpies 10 years ago.

"He's done better than I thought he would do. He's done terrifically well," the ex-England boss is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

"We gave him his debut in a derby game and he was excellent, man of the match. To see him go on and become [that] kind of player - he's a good footballer as well - he's done very well. Very good."

McClaren's troops picked up their first win of the season by thumping Norwich City 6-2 last weekend. The bottom-of-the-table Black Cats are winless in nine league outings.