Grant Leadbitter wants the Sunderland fans to get behind their team for the rest of this season.

The Black Cats are just three points above the relegation zone with eight games remaining, which is a situation their fans have made their feelings perfectly clear on.

"It hurts when the fans boo but they can boo me if they want - I'm not bothered," Leadbitter told The Journal. "They pay their money and they want their team to do well.

“So it's fair to express their opinion. They want to win, we want to win but sometimes we all need to relax a bit more and let the players do what they've been sent out to do."