Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is confident new signing Bolo Zenden can still make a major impact in the Barclays Premier League.

The 33-year-old former Holland international made his debut for the club as a substitute in last Saturday's 1-0 victory over Liverpool just a day after signing a contract until the end of the season.

Zenden, who has previously played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Marseille, impressed after spending two weeks training on Wearside.

The Dutchman was used during the early part of his career as a left winger, but Bruce now sees him as a central midfielder.

He said: "He can play in both [positions], but he has still got fantastic energy for someone of his age.

"He is technically very, very good - you don't play for Barcelona and Liverpool and Marseille and Chelsea and all of those teams if you haven't got really good ability. That was never in question.

"He will give us that little bit of experience and also around the dressing room with the younger lads too, he is everything I hoped he would be.

"That bit of experience, that bit of know-how is very welcome. He is an intelligent boy."

Zenden's arrival could hardly have been more timely with summer signing Lee Cattermole facing at least three months on the sidelines with knee ligament damage.

He was introduced for the first time in a red and white shirt after Cattermole had been carried off on a stretcher with the injury which will keep him out until well into the new year.

Zenden and teenager Jordan Henderson will now compete for the vacant berth alongside skipper Lorik Cana as the Black Cats attempt to build on their impressive start to the season.

Sunderland head for Birmingham on Saturday sitting in seventh place in the table and just two points adrift of Arsenal in fourth.

But Bruce will have no qualms about throwing Zenden in if he feels he is the right man for the job.

He said: "My big issue was was he physically fit enough? If it was going to take six, eight weeks to get him into come sort of physical condition, it might have been a different scenario.

"But he has kept himself in remarkable nick. He is very, very fit and he has done very well."