Former Sunderland defender Thomas Lavery is reportedly set to become Lee Cattermole’s first signing at Gateshead

Former Sunderland defender Thomas Lavery is set to become Lee Cattermole’s first signing as Gateshead manager.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Lavery is closing in on a move to Gateshead on a free transfer after leaving Sunderland earlier this summer. The right-back is available following his release from the Black Cats and now looks set to continue his career in the National League.

Lavery had been with Sunderland since the age of nine and progressed through the Academy of Light, featuring regularly across the club’s under-18 and under-21 sides. He enjoyed a memorable under-21 debut in September 2023, scoring a late comeback winner against Aston Villa. Lavery was also named among Sunderland’s first-team substitutes three times during the 2023-24 Championship campaign.

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The defender played 24 times across the under-21 and under-18 teams during the 2024-25 season, but was not retained by Sunderland this summer as part of the club’s academy release decisions. A move to Gateshead would offer Lavery the chance to take his first steps into regular senior football under a manager who knows Sunderland’s academy pathway well. Cattermole was appointed Gateshead boss this summer after previously working within the Black Cats’ youth set-up.

The deal would also mark Cattermole’s first signing since taking charge, with the former Sunderland midfielder beginning to shape his squad ahead of the new season. Lavery now looks set for a proper first step into senior football after more than a decade at Sunderland, with the move offering regular minutes and a manager who knows the academy pathway well. It would also give Cattermole a familiar first addition as he starts to shape his Gateshead squad.

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