CHARLIE OATWAY is delighted to have welcomed Jermain Defoe to Sunderland – because he finally has someone who understands his London accent.

Having made his Black Cats debut in last weekend’s Premier League defeat at Tottenham, Defoe is expected to retain his place in the starting line-up when Fulham travel to the Stadium of Light for tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie.

The 32-year-old, who was born in Beckton, East London, moved to Sunderland from Canadian side Toronto FC, but has spent the rest of his career in the south of England playing with Tottenham, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and West Ham.

Oatway boasts similar London roots, and after uprooting to the North-East to work with long-term associate Gus Poyet when he was appointed as the Black Cats’ head coach last October, the former midfielder is delighted to finally have a fellow southerner to provide moral support.

“I’m just so pleased we’ve got him because he’s someone I can speak to without having to repeat myself,” joked the Sunderland number two, who stood in for Poyet at yesterday’s pre-match press conference. “It’s quite strange having so few Londoners here because normally we get everywhere - even Toronto!

“We’re both Londoners, so there’s been a bit of slang flying around that we both understand. The banter has been brilliant.

“All joking aside though, I’ve been so impressed with him. He’s very forthcoming when you chat with him, he trains well and you can see him in the gym looking after himself.

“He just wants to do well. Last week, we asked him how he felt about playing at Tottenham and it was a no brainer for him - he just wanted to play. I’ve been impressed with him as a man and a player.”

While Defoe’s debut performance at White Hart Lane could not prevent Sunderland suffering a 2-1 defeat that sent them tumbling to within a point of the relegation zone, there were enough positive signs from his partnership with Steven Fletcher to suggest that better times could lie ahead.

He was unfortunate not to win a penalty when Jan Vertonghen appeared to tug him to the floor, and won the free-kick that resulted in Seb Larsson curling home a superb equaliser.

Off the pitch, the effect of his arrival has been equally as positive, with everyone in the Sunderland camp getting a major lift from the signing of an established international who has played at the very highest level of the game.

“When you sign someone like Jermain, because he is a name it gives everyone a lift,” said Oatway. “Everyone wants to impress him in training and show him what they’ve got. He gives everyone a little bit of oomph in their game and his signing has been very well received.

“There are no guarantees in football, but the kid has a fantastic record in the Premier League of scoring goals. You have to get excited about what he could do here and I am sure the fans are delighted to have him on board. The way he has conducted himself since he has been here has been even more of a blessing for me.”

Sunderland go into tomorrow’s game having claimed just two home victories all season, one of which came against Championship opposition in the shape of Leeds United in the previous round of the FA Cup.

Their current placing of 16th means they are just one place better off than at the same stage of last season, but Oatway insists that progress has been made and remains confident there will not be a repeat of last year’s dramatic late scramble to avoid relegation.

“When we came here last season, we had a point from seven games and were constantly fire-fighting,” he said. “I am not saying it is a lot better right now, but you can definitely see a certain amount of improvement. The players are showing that. It is about getting stable as a club now and making sure that every year, we improve.”

Lee Cattermole, Adam Johnson and Wes Brown are all set to miss tomorrow’s game because of injury. Cattermole and Brown have both sustained minor knee injuries, while Johnson is struggling with a calf complaint.

“There are one or two issues on the injury front,” said Oatway. “Adam has a bit of a calf problem, Wes has a knock to his knee and Lee has also got a bit of a problem with his knee. We are still monitoring those.

“Lee will be struggling for the weekend, but it is not a major concern. We are confident he will be ready for next week.”