Sunderland AFC and League One transfer news: Manchester United pair had cold feet over Cats move as Coventry City suffer horrific injury blow

“I had a year left (on my Manchester United contract) but I knew I wasn’t going to play,” Brown said to Off The Ball.

“Half of me said stay just for that one year. The same sort of things were happening with John O’Shea so we had a little chat and Sunderland wanted both of us.

We said, ‘Okay, it’s time to go’. We were supposed to sign on the same day and I signed and I phoned him up asking him where he is and he said, ‘I’m not sure’.

“It absolutely killed me! But for whatever reason, he signed the next day. I’m not going to lie, it made it so much easier. He’s probably my best mate.”

In other news, Stephen Hunt has revealed Reading once turned down an £8.5million bid for him from Sunderland – the midfielder claims Roy Keane was keen on bringing Hunt to Wearside back in 2007-08 but a bid was rejected.

Elsewhere in League One, a second Coventry City player has suffered another serious knee ligament injury this week.

Dan Bartlett ruptured his cruciate in an under-23s game against Hull City on Monday. Days later, 23-year-old forward Reise Allassani has suffered the same long-term setback.

Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, who has seen the club suffer two ACL injuries a season for the last three years, said: “It’s horrendous, absolutely horrendous.”