Ex-Sunderland striker lifts the lid on some of the 'lowest points' of his career at the Stadium of Light

Graham has been reflecting on his struggles during a three-year spell at Sunderland and how he got his career back on track at Blackburn Rovers under Tony Mowbray.

Graham netted just once in 42 matches for the Black Cats after joining them from Swansea in January 2013.

The 34-year-old striker told talkSPORT: “The spell I had at Sunderland was really tough.

“It probably drained a lot out of me and [I had] probably some of the lowest points of my career.

“It wasn’t through lack of trying as I was giving my all. The home move just didn’t seem to click or get into gear.

“It was tough times and then I was out on loan a few times.

“I ended up going to Blackburn on loan in late January [2016] and I think I scored seven in the last 18 games or so. It felt really homely and felt like the best place to be and looking back, it was a great decision to sign permanently.

"Probably the majority of my time at Blackburn has been spent under Tony and we’ve had a good relationship, on and off the pitch.

“He’s a Middlesbrough guy and I live in the Middlesbrough area, so he’s great to have around the place and great for the boys.

“I think after the relegation, we’ve only gone from strength and strength and a lot of that is down to Tony and his team.”