[retired_hvporter]

Originally posted by Macca_SAFC:
According to Halford's blog, we're gonna have a friendly with Juventus :cool:

Not too sure this is going to be so. I know they have lined up Newcastle, but I do not remember hearing about Sunderland.

[retired_felicityh]

Originally posted by Macca_SAFC:
According to Halford's blog, we're gonna have a friendly with Juventus :cool:

if that is true, bring it :cool: and it is likely after looking at our friendlies in england atm

[retired_hvporter]

Originally posted by Juve4EVA:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by Macca_SAFC:
According to Halford's blog, we're gonna have a friendly with Juventus :cool:

if that is true, bring it :cool: and it is likely after looking at our friendlies in england atm </BLOCKQUOTE>England turning into the pre-season venue of choice for Serie A teams, it seems.

[retired_lnspeer]

Originally posted by Gav Stone:
I hope you will be opening a Woking FC thread too, Macca. :thup:

We actually have a surprisinging number of fans on here, though I think we'll stick to the general non-league thread.

[retired_cindycin]

It's the July weather mate.

[retired_lnspeer]

My shock move to Sunderland

I had a lovely holiday in the Maldives, I got back last Monday feeling really refreshed – little did I know what a big week it would turn out to be…

After barely six months at Reading I have been allowed to sign for Sunderland and, I've got to admit, the whole thing has been a massive shock.

I haven’t been given a fair crack of the whip at the Madejski; they only played me in two full games. In one I got a man of the match award and the other one was my full debut against Tottenham. I thought I did alright and I think you need to be given time bed-in at a new club, two matches doesn’t really give you that opportunity.

Sunderland knew that I wasn’t playing and they were keen on signing me back in November before deadline day, to make it permanent in January. But they also knew Premiership teams were interested, and that it made more sense for me to go to a Premiership team.

In January my priority was going to a top-flight club, and Sunderland were struggling at the time - so they weren’t a consideration. But when they made enquiries recently, they had one bid rejected but their second was one 'Reading couldn’t turn down'.

It was all a surprise, because I was expecting to be at Reading for my entire contract. For them to turn around so quickly and accept an offer was a bolt out of the blue. When I signed in January, the manager said 'you'll be here for three years; we want you here for the long run.' So it was a major shock.

I had a meeting with Nicky Hammond (the director) and Steve Coppell towards the end of last week, and I told them that I had only just started to settle in. It's crazy because I only picked up the keys to my new house on the Friday; I wasn’t expecting to be gone so soon!

It was always going to be hard to break into the first team there, although I didn’t expect to do it right away. Especially because club captain Graeme Murty plays at right-back. If he's fit he's always going to be first on the team sheet. De la (Ulises de la Cruz) had his poor performances and his good ones, like anyone, but he got more of a run in the team. When you see us on a fair playing field, you get a bit despondent and maybe lose interest a bit, and that was tough.

I went to Reading thinking I was going to be their second choice right-back, and when Murts got his injury I thought it would be my chance to have a run of games. But it didn’t happen, even when De la was out. They decided to play Brynjar Gunnarsson instead and I knew right then that it was going to be really hard for me. I needed a vote of confidence.

However, I have definitely got some positives to take out of my time at Reading. I learnt a lot and my defensive skills came on in leaps and bounds. I would have liked to have had a bit more match experience, but I've learnt a fair bit in my short time there.

I am now just really excited about what my future at Sunderland holds. They have done incredible things over the last season, and it's a team that’s really going places. They are an enormous club, with amazing facilities and a huge stadium. Plus, to have a manager like Roy Keane you really can't go wrong! I'm sure I will learn a lot more from him and from playing week-in, week-out. That was the main reason I went up there.

I was actually a Manchester United fan as a youngster and Roy was a hero of mine. He's a legend - the idea of working under him now is unbelievable. It's amazing to imagine what he can achieve after the runaway success of last season. I really think we'll replicate what Reading did this season.

The competition for right-back isn’t as fierce at Sunderland. Especially now Danny Simpson's gone back to Man United. I do like to have competiton, it's healthy, but if I am playing that will improve me even more. Everything has just fallen into place for me up here and to be Roy Keane's first signing is massive, it's a huge confidence boost.

Playing week-in week-out is top of the list for me, and when I met with Roy this week he said: 'If you get a full season under your belt this year, then I'm expecting you to get to the full England squad.' That's exactly what I was going to ask him, because that's my ambition - so for him to say it without me even asking wrapped the deal up completely. I knew Sunderland was right for me.

We've got a pre-season training camp in Portugal soon, then we go to Ireland for a few games. It will be a good chance to get to know my team-mates. It's quite good because the travelling is nowhere near as bad as going to Korea with Reading! I am really looking forward to it actually, and rumour has it we are trying to get Juventus as our first friendly.

I think it’s going to be a busy few weeks as I settle into my new club and surroundings. But I'd better go for now, I've got to try and find a (nother) new house!

Halford's blog in full btw, few interesting things in there. Certainly an unexpected move for him and I hope he settles quickly up north. Nice to see the effect Keano has when going for players as well.

In other news, Quinn claims we've sold nearly 30000 season tickets already.

[retired_mygem19]

Dwight :cool:

[retired_layne129]

Originally posted by Macca_SAFC:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by Gav Stone:
I hope you will be opening a Woking FC thread too, Macca. :thup:

We actually have a surprisinging number of fans on here, though I think we'll stick to the general non-league thread. </BLOCKQUOTE>

The reaction on here would be fb

[retired_amen]

Sunderland for Europe!

Preferably Champions League after finishing a close second to United in the league after hammering Chelsea home and away.

Man Utd &gt; Sunderland &gt; *

[retired_lnspeer]

Juve friendly confirmed :cool: