Sunderland AFC and League One gossip: Ex-Newcastle United midfielder reveals funny story about signing for Black Cats

Ex-Cats midfielder Lee Clark has revealed details about how his 1997 move to Sunderland came about.
Lee Clark in his Sunderland AFC days.Lee Clark in his Sunderland AFC days.
Lee Clark in his Sunderland AFC days.

Speaking to Open Goal, the current Blyth Spartans manager said: “Sunderland was the last club I met, I remember meeting Reidy [Peter Reid] in Manchester and saying ‘Listen Peter, I’ve come out of courtesy’.

“Paul Bracewell who I played alongside, played a big part in my career. He was Peter’s assistant and he’d set up the meeting and I basically said to ‘I’ve come out of respect, that they’d asked to meet us but there is no way I am going to sign’.

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“Six bottles of Dom Perignon later, I’d signed a five-year contract!”

Sunderland’s League One rivals Portsmouth could potentially lose a fourth player to international call-ups.

Australia look set to call-up fit-again Ryan Williams – the Blues winger has just returned from a hip flexor injury.

Kenny Jackett’s Portsmouth are already weighing up whether to postpone their Gillingham encounter with three players receiving international calls. As it stands. Pompey sit 19th in League One with three games in hand on six League One clubs.

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Elsewhere in the division, Rotherham United boss Paul Warne has stated he will only hand French winger Julien Lamy a start when the time is right to do so.

Speaking to The Star, Warne said: "I'll put on only the players who I think are physically and mentally ready to play and only if the game situation is suited to them.”