Sunderland defender John O'Shea believes that teammate Alfred N'Diaye is going from "strength to strength" in the Premier League.

The French midfielder joined the Black Cats in January from Turkish side Bursaspor and has enjoyed a good run of form for the Wearsiders, especially since the arrival of new boss Paolo Di Canio.

"When he [Alfred] first came to the club, we knew he was going to grow into the role and he's going to get stronger and fitter and more used to lasting out the full 90 minutes," O'Shea told the club's official website.

"He's going to go from strength to strength. Also the organisational side of things is really helping him grow and become a stronger player for us."

Sunderland eased their relegation worries with a 1-0 win over Everton on Saturday that moved them six points clear of the relegation zone.