John O'Shea spent almost 12 years at Manchester United, during a period when Sir Alex Ferguson's team took English football by storm and made a major impact in Europe. When he joined Sunderland during the summer of 2011, the Ireland defender brought with him five Premier League titles, plus FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League winners' medals.
Given the predicament in which Sunderland found themselves just weeks ago, O'Shea insists top-flight survival this season would represent a genuine achievement for his current employers.
Asked how he has coped with fighting at the foot, rather than the top, of the table, he said: "Success for certain teams can be measured in different ways all the time.
"If we, Sunderland, survive in the league, it's obviously going to be a success because we were in a precarious position.
"We are still in a small bit of a precarious position, but thankfully we have the power in our own hands to survive that, and we have to continue that. They are big pressure games we have left."
The upturn in the club's fortunes – they sit five points clear of the drop zone after successive victories over Newcastle United and high-flying Everton – has coincided with the arrival of Paolo Di Canio as coach.
Sunderland's revival will be put to the test Monday when they head for Aston Villa, whose need for points is even more pressing. Paul Lambert's side currently occupy the last safe spot in the table, just two points ahead of Wigan Athletic, who have a game in hand, and three shy of Newcastle and the Black Cats ahead of them.
A Villa victory would apply pressure on Wigan and drag Sunderland into the relegation mix, but defeat would severely dent any hope of escaping the drop.
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