IS it me or did that feel like the longest summer in living memory?

What, with the World Cup and the European Under 21 Championships, it seems a lifetime ago since we gave Fulham the runaround on the final day of last season.

Thankfully, though, all the waiting is nearly over and Saturday's game against Sunderland can't come quickly enough for me now.

Okay, we've already had five friendlies but there's nothing like a competitive game to get your adrenaline pumping and the first game of the season is always that bit extra special because of the hype leading up to it.

Last season, the opening day of the new season turned into a nightmare for both me and the team.

A crunching tackle from Fabrizio Ravanelli saw me carried off with a knee injury and it was nearly six weeks before I returned.

To make matters worse, the team also lost 2-1 that day so the mood on the bus back to Blackburn was flat to stay the least.

That's why it's vitally important we start with a win on Saturday because what you do on the first day can set the tone for the next three months.

Our confidence would soar overnight if we beat Sunderland by a couple of clear goals, but on the other side of the coin, if we start with a defeat then we'll be immediately on the back foot.

I'm glad it's Sunderland, though, because after what they did to us last season, we're all desperate for revenge and we won't need firing up.

I thought we deserved at least a point at the Stadium of Light only for Niall Quinn to then snatch a late winner for the home side in typical style.

Then our 3-0 defeat at home to them on Boxing Day was comfortably our worst performance of last season.

So the Black Cats turned out to be desperately unlucky for us and we are fiercely determined to set the record straight.

At the moment, they look like a club in turmoil after Peter Reid came under fire from his own fans during their pre-season build-up.

But when people are under seige like that, that's when they are at their most dangerous so we must be on our guard.

Regardless of all their problems, Sunderland still have some great players like Kevin Phillips and Claudio Reyna.

And then of course there's Jason McAteer, pictured, who needs no introduction to Rovers fans after his spell at Ewood.

Macca can be a dangerous opponent on his day and I'm sure he'll be fired up to make a point on his return to East Lancashire.

But let's hope we can send them packing, feeling that same sense of disappointment we felt on the road back from Derby.

I'm optimistic about our chances. Dwight Yorke, Andy Todd and Sebastian Pelzer have all added depth and quality to the squad.

And with players like Duffer in the ranks, we can beat anyone on our day -- so let's go out and prove it!