The £10million signing from Tottenham became the match-winner for the Black Cats.
Bruce said: “It’s great when your centre-forward gets off the mark after five minutes.
“It was a great header and all that hard work that the chairman (Niall Quinn) has put in, with hours of negotiations by everybody concerned, has paid off.
“It was well worth it, not just for his goal but his appetite and his work-rate.
“That’s what got the deal over the line in the end – the boy’s desire to come and play for us.”
