Turner, now 66, started his career at Sheffield Wednesday before joining Sunderland in 1978, where he would stay for six seasons, making over 200 appearances in all competitions between the sticks for the Wearsiders during his stint.

Asked about Sunderland’s youth-focused approach in the Championship, Turner told The Echo: “Great on them. They’ve gone down a route, they’ve stuck to the route. They haven’t been what you would call really successful, but when you go down a route, it takes time. Especially when you’re playing a young side, it takes time. But when you get there, and you start the signs of being successful, then you become successful, well worth the wait.

“You’ve got your young side developing together, playing together, winning together, being successful. It’s a great feeling for fans and a great feeling for the club. The fans get a bit frustrated, obviously, because it takes time. But it does take time to develop a club, develop a culture, and to obviously strive for success on a consistent basis. That takes time. I think Sunderland now are a number of years down the line towards that.