Titus Bramble has backed the Sunderland squad to finish in a European place this season after Sunday's win over Manchester City.
The 28-year-old joined from Wigan Athletic in the summer and has impressed in his appearances for the Black Cats thus far, particularly in last weekend's 1-0 win over City.
Bramble has now set his sights on helping Sunderland finish in a European position and believes the squad is good enough to be challenging the likes of Aston Villa and Liverpool.
"We have some really good players here and if we can get some better luck with injuries, I don't see why we can't push for a European place," he told the Sunderland Echo.
"Of course, getting a win over a team like Manchester City helps give everyone a lift, the sort of performance and result which boosts confidence.
"We have a platform to build on now and hopefully we can go to Wigan after the international break and get something from that game as well."
Manager Steve Bruce will be hoping Bramble's faith is well placed after naming him and all his other summer signings in his 24-man squad.
Sunderland squad: Marcos Angeleri, Phil Bardsley, Darren Bent, Titus Bramble, Fraizer Campbell, Trevor Carson, Lee Cattermole, Paulo Da Silva, Ahmed Elmohamady, Anton Ferdinand, Craig Gordon, Asamoah Gyan, David Healy, Steed Malbranque, George McCartney, John Mensah, Simon Mignolet, Nedum Onuoha, Andy Reid, Kieran Richardson, Cristian Riveros, Michael Turner, Robbie Weir, Boudewijn Zenden.