Dick Advocaat believes summer recruit Jeremain Lens can play a key role in the Sunderland attack next season.

The Blacks Cats splashed out £8million to sign Lens from Dynamo Kyiv and he is expected to make his debut in the club’s pre-season friendly with MLS outfit Toronto FC on Wednesday.

Advocaat has worked with Lens before, at PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar, and he says the Netherlands international will provide width to the Sunderland attack.

Lens can operate as a central striker but Advocaat sees the 27-year-old as a winger.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “We have to think about whether we will stick with the 4-3-3.

“But Lens is not really a player for a 4-4-2.

“He can go in between the lines and likes going past his man. We don’t have that with [Connor] Wickham.

“Connor works his socks off, but he doesn’t go past players, he’s a different type of player.

“Lens is one who likes to chase players.”

He added: “He can play left and right. He can even play as a striker, sometime I used him like that at PSV.

“But left or right is his best position because he is always a threat there. We haven’t had that.”

Sunderland begin the new Premier League campaign at Leicester on August 8 and they are 4.00 to take all three points. Sunderland are 10.00 to win 1-0 or 8.50 to win and both teams to score.