Sunderland’s transfer strategy is focused on bringing in youth players with a long-term plan in mind and under Tony Mowbray’s guidance, the Black Cats had an impressive last season in the Championship.
The Wearside outfit are eyeing promotion this season and they are currently one point off of the last playoff place.
Piper believes that there are not many teams in the Championship that can put four past a team like Southampton and he is of the opinion that Sunderland are very similar to Leicester City.
The former Black Cats star believes that the key to Sunderland’s emergence is their squad being full of talented, young, energetic and hungry players wanting to play for the club.
“I think if you look at Sunderland, there are not many teams in this league currently that can put a performance together and put four past the top teams like Sunderland have done against Southampton”, Piper said on BBC Radio Leicester.
“They have scored a lot of goals; they have scored the highest goals in the league and they are always in the game unless they go down early and their heads drop.
“They are young and they are energetic.
“They are a very similar kind of side to what [Enzo] Maresca has put together at Leicester.
“All ball players, all young, hungry and really want to wear the shirt and that is what brought Sunderland back again.”
Sunderland are currently going through a bad run of form and Mowbray’s side will be determined to bounce back on Saturday against Norwich City.
