Paddy McNair, the match-winner in Wednesday's EFL Cup tie at QPR, has asked Sunderland fans to be patient with him as he gets fully fit.
The 21-year-old defender, who played just his second full 90 minutes for Sunderland, joined from Manchester United last month without having had a full preseason.
McNair scored his first Sunderland goals as the Black Cats came from behind to win at Loftus Road, earning a fourth-round trip to Southampton.
Speaking to Sunderland's official website, the Northern Ireland international said: "It was a good night for me personally but also for the team, and I think we deserved to go through to be honest.
"It was brilliant [to celebrate with the fans] and we had great support so it was great for them to see us win.
"It was difficult during the first weeks after I came from Manchester United where I hadn't had a preseason, so I'm just been trying to get going and it was also a big change.
"I want the fans to be patient with me but hopefully I've shown what I can give the team.
"We have two big games coming at home and hopefully we can take six points before heading into the international break."
Those matches are against Crystal Palace and West Brom in the Premier League.
Although instant success is required to lift Sunderland out of the bottom three, manager David Moyes admits it is going to take time for his players to get used to his ideas and be able to implement them.
Moyes, who succeeded England boss Sam Allardyce this summer, said: "I want to build on what Big Sam has done.
"I want to be able to say that we have some good young players. I am not able to do it in one short window but I am not worried about the big tasks.
"Some I will get right, some we won't. It is going to take time to build us up but sometimes in this game time is not what you have."
