The Italian ruled with an iron fist when he was boss of League One Swindon, coming down hard on any players deemed not to be pulling their weight.
Former Robins chairman Jeremy Wray gave Di Canio, 44, his first job in management and last night he said: "Paolo does not suffer fools gladly and will not put up with any slacking.
"Any Sunderland players who think they can just pick up their wages and not put in maximum effort are in for rude awakening.
"When he was here the players did not get many days off and Paolo did used to hold a lot of double training sessions.
"I call him the John McEnroe of football because he was a bit of a brat as a player but as a manager he is different.
And they were sitting in third place in League One when he walked out after a row over finances in February. Maverick Di Canio is still in the process of suing his old club for selling midfielder Matt Ritchie to rivals Bournemouth behind his back.
Ritchie told SunSport: "He came in when the whole club was a bit down because we had just been relegated but he raised everybody's spirits.
"He had a target and that was to win the league. He was not going to stop until he achieved that. We did not have many days off and we worked hard. All the players were very fit. The Premier League is a lot different to League One and League Two so maybe his approach will be a bit different.
"I am sure all the Sunderland players will take to him straight away. He knows his stuff and players respect the fact he played the game at the highest level.
"What you see with Paolo is what you get. You know when he is not happy with you and if you have done well he will tell you.
"He does a lot of tactical stuff and spends a lot of time working on the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. I cannot speak highly enough of him."
Ritchie reckons Di Canio can get the best out of Sunderland's under-performing stars like England winger Adam Johnson, who plays in the same position as the Bournemouth ace.
Ritchie added: "Adam Johnson is a world-class player, who has been playing at the top for many years. He has been at some big clubs but I am sure Paolo will get the best out of all the players."
Di Canio will be Sunderland's fifth manager in a little more than four years, and the first owner Ellis Short has chosen since Niall Quinn's departure as chairman.
But Wray believes Di Canio is the ideal choice to lead them out of the slump that is threatening their place in the Premier League.
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