Jason Steele accepts that being part of Sunderland's dramatic fall is going to live with him forever.

He does not want it to define his career, but it is pretty hard to get away from it at the moment, even on the sunny south coast with Albion.

The gory details of Sunderland's second successive relegation to League One are being relived not by Steele but some of his new team-mates, watching a fly-on-the-wall series on Netflix.

The Black Cats were followed, warts and all, throughout what turned out to be another terrible campaign.

The Argus: It It was particularly painful for Steele, born and bred in the north-east, to have another stain on his CV after also going down from the Championship with Blackburn (above).

Especially as he appeared at one time to be on the same upward path as current England No.1 Jordan Pickford (below), earning international recognition from the under-16s through to the under-21s and selection for the GB squad for the 2012 London Olympics.

The Argus: So So was his move to Albion in the summer, on a three-year deal, about rehabilitation?

"Possibly," Steele told The Argus. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still proud of stuff I've achieved. I'm not looking at it doom and gloom.

"People just look at what happened last year at such an unbelievable club like Sunderland.

"To be a part of that is going to live with you forever. It's one of those things, it happens in football.

"I've come here and everyone has been brilliant. I'm enjoying my football again."

The Netflix series has provoked some good-natured banter from Steele's colleagues in the Albion dressing room, only because he has retained his broad accent, not because of the way he is portrayed.

He said: "Some of the boys have been winding me up. From all accounts it's a very good watch and a credit to the boys back at Sunderland for sticking with it last year.

"A lot of us could have thrown the towel in and not done anything and pushed it aside. But we all did it in tough circumstances.

"I haven't watched it. Whether I will I don't know. I'm just focused on waking up every day with a smile on my face, going to work and doing the best I can.

"They (Albion players) just wind me up about my accent. To be fair they've been kind, they've been saying I come across really well. As long as you come across as a good human being in times of distress, I think that's a nice attribute to have.

"People don't understand a lot of footballer' mentalities in terms of when you are in a difficult situation being from up there, living up there, kids going to school up there. You go out of the house, people are looking at you, people are asking questions, it's not easy.

"Maybe that's an insight to how difficult it was up there. I'm not saying it was just for me, there were 25 of us going through the same thing. It's a good insight, I think, from what I gather everybody is really positive about it."

Steele, 28, (below) is positive about his future now as well with Albion as he makes his debut in the FA Cup at Bournemouth on Saturday and edges closer to 300 career appearances. He is loving life on the south coast with his young family.

The Argus: "My kids love it man, they don't stop, I can't get them off the pier," he said, the 'man' giving away that accent.

"Everything has been absolutely tip-top. Cultural wise it is a lot different to what we are used to up there, the weather being one, massive, totally different.

"But in general it's been brilliant, the people have been really welcoming. Obviously, as soon as you open your mouth you stand out like a sore thumb!

"People know straight away you are not from around here but everybody has been brilliant and I can't thank everybody enough, from inside the training ground to staff to people on the street."

Steele offered a reminder of his talents starring in the Checkatrade Trophy against Luton earlier in the season, having suffered thigh damage shortly after his move from Sunderland.

He said: "I was injured, which wasn't ideal, but since I came back I feel I've done alright in training and when I've played, in the Checkatrade Trophy.

"I felt like I was getting to where I should be, really good.

"So that game was the fruits of that labour, albeit for somebody that has played 300 games and, with respect, that's a cup that younger players are playing in.

"I felt it was a good opportunity for me and it worked out really well. It's just a case of keep going and see what happens."

Those Sunderland reminders still persist. Steele made an unfortunate first start under Chris Coleman in their 2-0 third round FA Cup exit at home to Middlebrough, his first club, a year ago.

The healing process is well underway with Albion. Emulating fellow summer signing David Button's clean sheet on his Premier League debut last Saturday against Everton, deputising for Asian Cup participant Mathew Ryan, would be a further step on the road to redemption.