Zenden, who moved to the Stadium of Light as a free agent last October, came very close to signing for Newcastle when Sir Bobby Robson offered him a deal (on two occasions).
Bruce would like to keep the Dutchman beyond the end of the current campaign, but Zenden admits to being disappointed at the lack of firstteam opportunities that have come his way.
Zenden: “I signed a deal until the end of the season with an option for another, and it’s just a matter of time before I have a chat with the gaffer and people at the club.
“You never know what the gaffer’s plans are for next year and it’s hard to say what will happen. I am still 100 per cent focused on Sunderland because I have a contract here and there is no offer from another club. But there are a lot of things that will influence my decision.
“The players, people at the club and fans have all been great with me, but the only downside of my experience up here has been my lack of time on the pitch.”