Bruce formally returns to work on Tuesday and he hopes to make quick progress on the recruitment front when he does finally get his feet under the desk. But it has emerged that he will face strong resistance from Wigan in his attempts to sign Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble.

Although both players would favour a reunion with their old boss, Latics chairman Dave Whelan has already slapped a hands off warning on England Under-21 midfielder Cattermole.

And he will not look favourably on a bid for Bramble either, with Wigan set to make the defender club captain in a bid to keep him at the DW Stadium.

Even from his sun lounger, Bruce has been keeping in close touch with chairman Quinn regarding signings and is looking forward to the start of the pre-season campaign.

Sunderland kick off with a short trip to Darlington on July 16 before travelling to Amsterdam to play European giants Benfica and Atlético Madrid, and then head for Scotland to face Celtic.

“It’s a challenging schedule, but we’ve got some mouth-watering games to look forward to,” Bruce said. “It’s a great honour to be involved in the famous Amsterdam Tournament and, of course, games in Scotland are always tough.

“The games we have chosen are very competitive, but pre-season is all about the right preparation and these games will stand us in good stead for the start of the season and the challenges of the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland have been spared the prospect of a reunion with former striker Djibril Cissé, who has joined Greek side Panathinaikos on a four-year contract.

In stark contrast to the way his loan spell in Wearside petered out, his arrival in Athens was marked by a crowd of more than 2,500 fans greeting him at the airport.

Although Tottenham were credited with an interest in the former Liverpool front man, he opted for a move to Panathinaikos and the promise of European football – becoming the club’s highest-paid player in the process.