Bruce: I will consider quitting if abuse affects players

Steve Bruce will consider ­quitting if the abuse he suffered at the hands of Sunderland fans starts to hamper his players.

The Black Cats boss has conceded for the first time he could be forced out by the boo boys – but insisted last night that he still wants to fight on.

Fury erupted on the Stadium of Light terraces at the 2-1 defeat by Wigan and the club’s relegation form since mid-January.

Taunted with chants of “Fat, Geordie b*****d, get out of our club”, Bruce said: “If I thought that by me going, it would help everybody, then I would consider it. But I don’t think that right now. I just want to get it right.

“Whatever abuse is thrown at me, I would never walk away – never. It’s not in my nature at all.

“But if I thought it would help, then I would certainly have a think about that.”

Bruce was stung by the verbal aggro and added: “I have to accept it.

“I cannot help where I was born unfortunately.

“Can I turn the ­relationship around? I don’t know. It’s going to be very, very difficult.

“Hopefully, it’s bottomed out now. I don’t think it’s ever been as bad as that.

“If the players went out there and I thought they weren’t trying or I’d lost them, then you do start to take a look at the bigger picture. But every one of them did their best in ­difficult circumstances.

“For me, we absolutely battered Wigan, but it doesn’t make any ­difference, we got beat. We are judged on results and unfortunately they have not been good enough.

“It ended up being a horror show.”