ELIEZER Mayenda would love to have started more games for Sunderland this season but has never been tempted to knock on Regis Le Bris' door and question the head coach.

Instead, Mayenda is happy to try and do his talking on the pitch, as he did at Hillsborough on Wednesday night when he scored a double to fire the Black Cats back to winning ways.

Mayenda has started just 16 Championship games this season but has still been a hugely important figure, featuring in 27 of Sunderland's 35 league fixtures.

He got his chance from the off on Friday after Le Bris decided to rest first choice striker Wilson Isidor.

But if Sunderland's top scorer is recalled for next Saturday's visit of Cardiff City, Mayenda will understand.

“The gaffer is the boss, he decides in every game who plays," said the striker.

"For me, it's all right. I will try to give 100% of my quality in every game.

"The gaffer is the boss and he knows what is best for the team."

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Asked whether he was frustrated not to have started more games, Mayenda said: “Frustration is maybe not really the good word to explain that. But I think every player wants to play, not just me.

“For the team, the most important thing is to win the game. If I play just 20 minutes or 90 minutes, for me it's the same thing.

"You can stay just a little bit frustrated. I don't think like that. I don't feel like that. I want to help the team in every game.

"If I start on the bench, it's not all right, but it's football. The gaffer is the boss. If the gaffer thinks for the next game, I will make a bigger impact on the bench, just let's do it."

Mayenda featured in just eight Championship games in his first season on Wearside, before joining Hibs last January for what turned out to be a difficult loan spell.

But he was always confident he could flourish in the second tier given time.

“Everybody knows that the Championship is not an easy league," he said.

"Some players need a little bit of adaptation, a little bit of time to adapt to the league. It's just a physical league.

"I'm a Spanish guy. If you compare it to Spain, Spain is a little bit more technical, but I can play in the Championship. I try to show that I can play in this league in every game.

"I work every day on the training ground. I'm very happy to score, I will be trying to score in the next games, if possible."

And he'll continue to try and put a smile on the faces of the fans who have blown the striker away with their support.

“The supporters of Sunderland are, for me, the best in the Championship," he said.

"Just to make the connection with the supporters is very important for me. To feel the love of the supporters. The supporters show me the love in every game, every day."

Sheffield United's win at QPR on Saturday means Sunderland are eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places, but Mayenda says the Black Cats players are still confident this season can end in promotion, whether it comes via a top two finish or through the play-offs.

He said: "I'm confident. Everybody's confident in the team. I think the fans too.

"We need to fight in every game to stay in a good team spirit and to believe. The most important thing is to believe in ourselves and keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing. We will see. But we have a really good team."