Peter Farrer, the taxi driver from Netflix show Sunderland Til I Die, says Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris has "got to be given the praise" for guiding the club to the Championship play-off final.
The Frenchman's young squad face Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday with the winner earning promotion to the Premier League.
Farrer, a Black Cats devotee who appeared regularly on the hit series covering the club, told BBC Radio Newcastle: "I think he's a very, very intelligent bloke.
"You never see him getting flushed. You never see him shouting his mouth off.