Sunderland owner Stewart Donald reveals why he sacked Jack Ross

Stewart Donald says he made the decision with a ‘heavy heart’ and thanked the Black Cats boss for ‘achieving stability’ at the club.

James Fowler will take charge of the clash with Grimsby Town tonight.

“This is a decision that has been made with a heavy heart,” Donald said.

“When we arrived at the club 18 months ago, we appointed Jack because we felt that he was the right man to take Sunderland forward over a number of years.

“Jack has worked extremely hard, and has helped us achieve stability at the club, and I sincerely thank him for his efforts. I hope and believe that he will go on to have a successful career in management.”

The club statement said that the process to appoint a new manager ‘would start tomorrow.’

Donald took the decision with Sunderland sixth in the League One table.