A Geordie can succeed at Sunderland insists Martin O'Neill

Danny Graham has been linked with the Black Cats

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is convinced a Geordie can become a hero on Wearside - because it has been done before.

The Black Cats are firmly in the race to sign Gateshead-born Swansea striker Danny Graham this month amid reported competition from Norwich, QPR and Reading, with much being made of the 27-year-old's affection for arch-rivals Newcastle.

However, while declining to comment on his interest in the player - a formal bid has now been tabled - O'Neill is confident any prior affiliation goes out of the window when a professional pulls on the colours of another club, and he has hard evidence to support his argument.

Northumberland-born Bob Stokoe, the man who led then second division Sunderland to their FA Cup final over the mighty Leeds 40 years ago, was part of the famous Magpies team of the 1950s before crossing the divide, and his place in the club's history has been marked by a statue at the Stadium of Light.

O'Neill said: "You can grow up supporting a team, that's the nature of it, but when you become a professional player, then that is your job.

"Your job then is to play the best for your team, and I think that's the case.

"There is a statue outside the football club here to a Geordie, so there we go. It can't be bad, seriously, I am being really serious."

O'Neill added with a smile: "If you can do some things for the football club, the fans are willing to forgive and forget."

Graham would not be the first man with Newcastle connections to accept an offer of employment from Sunderland - Len Shackleton and Bob Moncur famously played in both black and white and red and white, as did Paul Bracewell and Barry Venison.

However, such is the level of rivalry between the two clubs nowadays that midfielder Lee Clark's spell at the Stadium of Light came to an abrupt halt after he was photographed wearing an offensive t-shirt, while striker Michael Chopra has been vilified on Wearside ever since passing up an opportunity to score for the Black Cats in a derby at St James' Park.

Should O'Neill get his man, Graham would provide added potency and experience to a pool of strikers which has been radically overhauled in recent months.

Steven Fletcher has been a big hit since his £12million arrival from Wolves during the summer, but he has received little support from his fellow frontmen.

O'Neill has already started to clear the decks with Ji Dong-won on loan at German side Augsburg, Louis Saha having been told he can find another club and Fraizer Campbell a target for a series of suitors including Cardiff and Hull.

Sunderland invested heavily in potential in attack under previous manager Steve Bruce but while O'Neill insists there is a role for youth, there is little doubt that experience is on his wish-list as he attempts to avoid being dragged into another fight against relegation.

He said: "Of course at this moment, I think obviously it's important to stay in the league, and I think there is room for both.

"But you just have to be mindful of the situation. My view is that eventually, if you are good enough, you will come through regardless of what age you are.

"I don't think age should be a barrier. It is to experience, but I think there is room for both."

O'Neill will at least have Fletcher available for tomorrow's Barclays Premier League trip to Wigan after he missed the midweek FA Cup exit at the hands of Bolton through illness, and he could be joined by central defender John O'Shea, who was rested because of a tight hamstring.

However, skipper Lee Cattermole is likely to miss out after suffering a setback in his recovery from knee ligament damage during a training game yesterday less than 48 hours after making his return as a substitute against Wanderers.

O'Neill said: "He stubbed himself in the game. As he went to kick, he kicked the turf and a pain shot through his knee.

"But I think it's settling down at the moment. Tomorrow, I'll have to see, but we are hoping that if that's not the case, then next week, he should be okay."

PA

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: A tight game between Northampton and Bradford

A tight game could be in prospect here. Northampton have been keeping things very tight of late and ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: Feeling ill and racing in the rain must be pretty grim

I can’t ever watch games of football or rugby without wistfully wondering what it must be like to be...

by Martin Ayres

PSG and the French league must be more proactive in dealing with hooliganism

Since PSG’s exit to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final in April, PSG have been sur...

by Matthew Riding

       

Day In a Page

The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

The experts' guide to summer

From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in
The real thing? Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'

The real thing?

Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'
Gordon Ramsey's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

Gordon Ramsay's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

The pugnacious chef finally met a shambolic restaurant he couldn't save. John Walsh on when TV makover refuseniks fight back
Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Glamorous myth of the flight attendant lifestyle undermined by angry employee's claims of 'exploitation'
Braising saddles: Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it!

Braising saddles: How to cook horse meat

Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it! Will Coldwell hoofs it to the kitchen.
Why bitters are back on the bar: A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails

Why bitters are back on the bar

A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails. No wonder we're learning to love them again...