TWELVE minutes into the match against Sunderland, Manchester City captain Richard Dunne felt it was time to make a statement.

He decided to pick on Kenwyne Jones.

As the duo tussled for an aerial ball near the centre-circle, Dunne sank his boots into the back of Jones' left calf, resulting in the Sunderland striker requiring lengthy treatment on the pitch.

Black Cats manager Roy Keane had seen the challenge coming.

'I've got no doubt that teams are going to give him special attention,' he said before the clash.

'But it's one thing working out the danger that a player poses and quite another in dealing with that threat.'

City dealt with Jones well, eventually running out 1-0 winners, thanks to Stephen Ireland's brilliant 67th-minute volley.

Tonight, Jones will be bracing himself for further special treatment when Sunderland host bitter North East neighbours Newcastle.

The 23-year-old has made a blistering start in the Premier League, contributing four goals to his club's first campaign back in the top flight, three of them in his last four games.

Thus, he is hardly surprised at the attention he is attracting.

'I don't think it is any surprise to me - it might be a surprise to everyone else, but it is not a surprise to me,' he said confidently.

'It's always nice scoring goals, and the few I have got so far have helped me to settle up here.'

It is not just opposition players who have noted Jones' emergence.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has reportedly registered an interest in signing the Trinidad and Tobago international in recent weeks.

Keane is resigned to having his player constantly being linked to other clubs.

'If Kenwyne continues in the form he is in, I would expect some calls,' the Irish manager admitted.

'That shows the progress he has made in a short period.

'There are not a lot of big targetmen out there so the fact Kenwyne's quick and has a good touch makes it obvious people will have identified him (as a potential signing).

'I think he will become a marked man - from his opponents and from managers who are looking for a big targetman.'

There were raised eyebrows when Keane decided to pay Southampton

??pounds;6 million ($18m) for the top-flight rookie.

But the sum now looks like a bargain, with Jones scoring at Arsenal and West Ham, where he terrorised Alan Curbishley's defence throughout, as well as in the home games against Reading and Fulham.

'People have said he cost big money, but he didn't,' said Keane.

'He cost ??pounds;6m - that's not big money, is it?

'He hasn't played in the Premier League before, but he has taken on the challenge like a true man.

'Kenwyne's quick, he has a good touch and he's a physical presence for us, but he's still a young player and it's important that we're not putting too much pressure on him.'

Jones himself remains unfazed by Liverpool's interest and the mounting hype that surrounds him.

'The attention doesn't bother me,' he said.

'As fast as you get such attention, you can lose it again so I'm taking no notice.

'I'm just concentrating on trying to become a better footballer.

'No matter what you do, there's no point if you don't aspire to be better at it.

'I'm 23, I hope I will still get better and better.'

Sunderland will be counting on Jones to make an impact against Newcastle as the Black Cats attempt to end a run of six league games without a win.

That has left them with just two points from the last 18 on offer, a return which means they sit in 15th place in the table, only one point clear of the drop zone.

Jones is confident results will start to turn soon.

He said: 'It's definitely not far away. We know what we have to do, we know where we are lacking.

'Hopefully, a turn of results is right around the corner and Sunderland will be on the up.'

- Wire Services.