Jack Clarke's immediate focus remains giving his all in the red and white of Sunderland and is hoping he can thrive under Régis Le Bris next season.

Speculation continues to do the rounds, linking the Black Cats' talisman with a move away from the Stadium of Light, with Premier League side Southampton the latest to register an interest.

However, Sunderland are in no position to sell and as things stand, Clarke will play a key role for Le Bris next season. The French head coach has spent the last two weeks getting used to his new surroundings, coaching team and players, with the main aim of getting his methodology across to the group.

READ MORE: Key talking points from Sunderland's pre-season double header

"He wants a lot more intensity from us," Clarke said after the pre-season double header against South Shields and Gateshead. 

"Last season we were caught out with the manager changes and the injuries in certain positions, so we couldn't give the best possible version of what the manager thinks a Sunderland team should look like, and definitely what the club and ownership think a Sunderland team should look like.

"Under Regis, especially in the first two weeks, he's been trying to implement these things. It didn't quite work for us today but I'm sure by the start of the season we'll have a clearer vision of what he wants and we'll be playing that way.

"It’s been good. We’re obviously trying to learn on the pitch every single day and learn what he wants. 

"There are a lot of players who have been out on loan and people that are coming back from injuries and stuff, so it’s been difficult and we definitely need this period to reflect on where we went wrong last season, to improve before we go into the new season.

"He's big on us trying to work it into certain areas of the pitch and if it's not working in certain areas switching it quickly, something we didn't do well enough today.

"We're working on it every single day and hopefully by the time the next batch of games comes along and definitely by the season starting we'll have a better understanding of what he wants and be able to showcase a better version of ourselves."

Clarke was one of the standout performers in the Championship last season, with 15 goals to his name, and had it not been for his goals, Sunderland could have found themselves fighting at the wrong end of the table.

"I think it should help me thrive but it should help the whole team thrive," Clarke added when asked about how he thinks he'll fare under Le Bris. "Once we’ve got complete clarity and understanding of what he wants, when he wants and who is doing what.

"Obviously it’s been difficult so far and didn’t come off for us today. Hopefully once we’ve got that clarity the whole club can be thriving."

Sunderland have core group of young and upcoming talent, capable of playing in the Premier League. Retaining the likes of Anthony Patterson, Aji Alese and Chris Rigg to long-term contracts over the past 12 months, while they remain hopeful Dan Neil will sign a new contract in the coming weeks.

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Players will come and go along the way, but Clarke has stressed the importance of having some sort of familiarity within the squad.

"It’s obviously nice to have an understanding with the people you are going to be playing with," he said. "We have added new players and I’m sure the club will be wanting to add more players. 

"It boils down to what the manager wants really, we can only play as well as we can when we’ve got clarity from the manager and I think over the last few years, especially with the changes in managers wanting different things and stuff, hopefully under Regis with a full pre-season we’ll have complete clarity going into the new year."