Sunderland captain back for Everton

Sunderland captain Dean Whitehead has declared himself fit for the game against Everton this weekend.

He told the safc.com 'I feel good and it is just nice to be out playing again.

'My general fitness is fine, it is just about getting the match sharpness now.

'I am not sure whether I will be involved at the weekend - that's down to the manager - but my knee is feeling good, I'm feeling good fitness-wise and I'm ready.'

Roy Keane is also pleased with Deano`s return to fitness he told safc.com 'Deano's had another run-out and he's looking sharp."

"He trained the day after he played against Chesterfield, and you can see that he's getting that confidence back and getting stronger. He comes back into contention for Saturday."

"Deano's our captain and the reason I gave him the captaincy is because of what he does on the pitch, not what he says and we've missed that. I'd have no problems starting him - he's a fit, strong lad."

"We've had the scan results in the last few weeks and clinically he's fine, he's a tough lad. If I was in his shoes I know what I'd be thinking - get me back in straight away. If I think he's ready, he'll go straight back in."

"Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole are also in contention for the game at Everton. We're getting more and more players back."

I'll have to narrow the squad down to 16 or 18 for Saturday and it's a nice problem to have. It's a lot nicer than the problems we've had in recent months.'

Editors Comment

I am pleased to see Deano back we have missed his work rate and battling qualities. Hopefully he will get a start against Everton on Saturday


Vital Sunderland is back, so why not join up and join in?

It's easy to register , simply click the link and enjoy getting involved (you can even win prizes!)

Registering takes less than a minute.