SOCCER:JOHN O'SHEA'S 13-year career at Manchester United ended yesterday when the 30-year-old Republic of Ireland defender signed a four-year deal with Sunderland.
Old Trafford team-mate Wes Brown completed a similar move earlier yesterday but the future of Darron Gibson, who was included in manager Steve Bruce’s original join €14 million bid, remained unclear last night, with the midfielder’s personal terms understood to be a stumbling block.
Bruce hailed the capture of Brown and O’Shea as something of a coup for the club and the pair bring enormous experience of competing at the very highest level to the Stadium of Light.
O’Shea, who made his debut for United in 1999 having joined the club from Bohemians in Waterford, arrives with five Premier League, one FA Cup, three League Cup, one Champions League and one Club World Cup winners’ medals. Over the course of his time at old Trafford he made more than 250 league appearances and 75 in European competition.
Hailed for his versatility, O’Shea played in pretty much every position for United at one stage or another, including a stand-in appearance as goalkeeper in a 4-0 win at White Hart Lane in 2007. He was sometimes criticised for not leaving the club in order to play more games but actually made 326 appearances in all competitions in the seven seasons that followed his breakthrough in 2001/02.
Even last season, when he was sidelined for two significant spells through injury, he featured in 32 games, although he failed to even make the bench for the Champions League final in May when the manner of the defeat by Barcelona may have brought it home to Alex Ferguson the scale of the changes that were required if the club was to compete with Pep Guardiola’s side, thereby effectively sealing O’Shea’s fate.
Certainly the Irishman appears to have accepted the need to move on with dignity. He had a couple of years left on his contract at United where he was believed to have been on around €80,000 per week. It’s not clear yet how close Sunderland have gone to matching that figure but the longer contract certainly cushions the blow of any pay cut.
“Once I’d heard reports about the club and the people here, the ambitions and what the manager was all about, it was the only place I was going to come to,” he insisted yesterday.
Bruce held up the arrival of the Irishman as further evidence of the progress being made by the club. “John has been a solid, consistent part of Manchester United’s squad for well over a decade,” he said, “which goes to show the fantastic pedigree of player we have signed . . . his wealth of experience and versatility will be great attributes for us.
“I’m delighted with the players we have been able to secure ahead of the new season,” Bruce added.
Sunderland are also reported to be closing in on a free transfer move for Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan.
