The former Manchester United midfielder is the final year of his contract at the Stadium of Light and talks are ongoing over a new deal.

Keane guided the Black Cats back into the Premier League in his first season at the helm and helped them survive last term.

Sunderland chairman Quinn now hopes his former Republic of Ireland international team-mate can establish the North-East side in the upper reaches of the Premier League table.

He told the Daily Express: "In some ways, if Roy signs this deal, it is the end of his apprenticeship and the start of him being a fully-fledged manager.

"He has been through the learning curve, he has been successful. He is carrying the club on his shoulders. This is an opportunity for him to go forward.

"Roy's winning mentality and philosophy is that 'we have done nothing yet'. I have to see that through, too. The owners are like that. The owners like the way that we are not satisfied with things. We don't go off celebrating.

"The first part in our aim was to get out of the Championship; the second part was not to go straight back down - which we achieved.

"Now the third part is to get up the league. We are not going to be playing Champions League football next year; let's be serious."

Quinn is confident that a deal can be struck with Keane to ensure that he remains at the Stadium of Light beyond the summer.

He added: "We have met his solicitor twice now. It is getting to an area where the next meeting we have we will be getting closer to putting something onto paper.

"Roy is in a good place. He understands a lot more about football management now than from day one.

"I didn't want to offer him a contract until I had a good plan in place behind the scenes. That is more important to Roy Keane.

"The delay, if you can call it that, isn't because we were wondering about what we had to pay Roy Keane; we were wondering about what we would do with him for the next two years, we were wondering where the club could go."