He is, he insisted, looking forward "to every single game" in the new Premier League season but Roy Keane, manager of newly-promoted Sunderland, conceded there are "a few games that stand out" in the list of fixtures published yesterday.

The date of one in particular, it might be safe to assume, is already ringed on his calendar, September 1st the red letter day that will see him return to Old Trafford as a manager for the first time, in what will be Sunderland's fifth game of the season.

Such, however, will be the appeal of Keane's first opportunity to pit his managerial wits against Alex Ferguson - they meet again on St Stephen's Day at the Stadium of Light - the tie could yet be switched to the following day, a Sunday, for live television coverage.

So emotional a return do Sunderland sponsors Boylesports believe the occasion will be for Keane they are offering odds of 28 to 1 he will be sent off during the game at Old Trafford, perhaps in anticipation of a touch-line bust-up with Ferguson.

Sunderland will open their campaign against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light, Roy meets Robbie in the Battle of the Keanes, if you like. Their next fixtures take them away to Birmingham, who were also promoted last season, and Wigan, before they return home to host Liverpool. After that, it's off to Old Trafford, while the fixture perhaps most anticipated by Sunderland supporters is on November 10th - the home tie against neighbours Newcastle.

"A home game against Tottenham, a good footballing team, will hopefully be the start of a very good season for us," said Keane. "We then have two very tough away games and then it's Liverpool at home and (Manchester) United away - so we can see from the first four or five games how difficult it's going to be."

The Sunderland tea ladies, meanwhile, were "buzzing" yesterday, according to chairman Niall Quinn after the release of the fixtures. "I think it probably woke us all up out of a little hibernation that the last month has brought to football," he said. "Until the fixtures come you don't get that excited but, of course, today our office was buzzing, from the tea ladies right through to myself.

"It really does make us feel like we're back in the Premier League with Spurs, such a glamorous club, coming to our stadium . . . I want to see the club roar again by beating teams of the calibre of Spurs along the way and, I guess, to see Sunderland send a message out to the footballing world that we're a big team and we're back."

While Quinn expressed the hope the team will have a positive start to the campaign Boylesports priced them at 25 to 1 to lose all five opening games . . . and 1,250 to 1 to win all five. On a more positive note, they make Sunderland odds on (2 to 9) to avoid relegation.