Tom Flanagan reveals why he snubbed Championship interest to stay at Sunderland - amid Coventry City and Birmingham City links

The Northern Irish international put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light last week, despite claims that Championship sides Coventry City and Birmingham City were interested in his services.

And Flanagan says that a variety of factors, not least the size of the club, made the Black Cats a ‘difficult football club to leave’.

"It was the size of the club, the fanbase, the training ground, the stadium – even the area and things like that,” he said, when quizzed on his decision to stay by safc.com.

"I said it in an interview quite a long time before any negotiations started, it’s a difficult football club to leave and I did find it very difficult.

"I get on really well with the manager and the team is good and I’m interested to see who we recruit.

"We were always going to have such a chance and maybe it will be third time lucky.”

Flanagan has also cultivated a strong relationship with manager Parkinson, which proved another key factor in his decision to remain on Wearside.

"That was a bit of a pull as well because I get on so well with the manager,” he added.

"He likes the type of player I am and I like his management style.

"With the previous manager, when I first signed, I didn’t really know him. I knew he’d done well in Scotland but I didn’t know how he was going to take to the league so there was a bit of an unknown there.

"Then in the second year I knew him much better but he didn’t last that long – and then we were building relationships again with this manager now.

"It’s nice to know what you’re coming into and who’s going to be there, but it’s always nice when the club signs new players and it’s interesting to see who they sign.”

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