Sunderland confirm McGeady signing

Best of luck to James Vaughan up there, by the way; a fearless, tireless player who could have hit the heights if he hadn't had such abysmal luck with injuries.

Martinez legacy.

Clearly not good enough for a shite Premier League club.

Unbelievable.

Good luck to him. Not anywhere near the standard that we're looking to have outfield next season so good to have him off the wage books.

Good luck, Aiden.

Another 2 poor ex blues added to the Sunderland squad... haven't their fans suffered enough!

I'm sure in a parallel universe where he never suffered injury after injury as a teenager, he went on to be one of the world's best strikers. I thought the sky was the limit for this lad.

He was very different to Rooney, he lacked his technical ability. He couldn't score a goal like Rooney did yesterday. He didn't have Rooney's quick feet, touch, control, technique, vision or execution.

He was a very simple player. He was fast. Boy was he fast. 4th fastest 14-year-old at the 100m if I recall correctly. But it was not his speed off the ball that was the thing, he was just as fast on it. Like Andrei Kanchelskis, having the ball at his feet did not slow him down.

His next best quality was his strength. He wasn't a big lad in height, but he was stocky. His dad played rugby for Preston Grasshoppers, which is why he was living in the area that put him within Everton's radar. Vaughan had a rugby wingers build. That combination of speed and power is unusual in football.

The only other one I can think of is (the real) Ronaldo. Of course Ronaldo combined speed and power with superior technique, and quick feet in tight spaces. But power and pace go a long way in the Premier League.

Vaughan was a very determined player. We loved him because there was no such thing as a lost cause for the lad. He would chase everything, like a greyhound after a ball thrown by it's master in the park. He terrified opposition goalkeepers who were dawdling only to find they had a lot less time than they thought. His determination probably contributed to some of those injuries, as he thought nothing of going into challenges and was not scared of being kicked.

Perhaps he did not have the best shot on him, but he did know where the goal was. His minutes per goal for Everton was better than Lukaku. He scored a lot of goals for someone who really barely played for us. Like Kev Campbell, if the ball was pinging around in the box, you could bet Vaughan would get himself in position to have the ball and if he did, the ball would be in the back of the net.

I have always followed the lad's progress. But it is difficult to watch games of him at that level, and to be frank, I can't actually be bothered! But it's nice to keep an eye out, raise a smile as he bags a load of goals and shows signs of being injury free. He must be about 28 now. I would be interested to see what remains of that searing pace, and no doubt he still has his power and determination.

All the best James, I hope you fire Sunderland back to the Premier League with their side of ex-blues, and get one last chance to show your stuff on the big stage.

Best of luck James and wishing you freedom from injuries for the rest of your career.

I think he's 30 now mate. Nice piece. Really felt for him with his bad luck over injuries.

More of a shame as he's a really nice fella too. There was no "big I am" about him even when he was a youngster on the scene. Good luck to the lad.

Incredibly unlucky lad. Who severs an artery in their ankle? Has that ever happened in a match before?

Good on him for fighting for his career, though I'd expect nothing less of him. Could have been a seriously good top level player.

McGeady... well he never did much wrong as an individual. Just didn't work out for him and probably wasn't quite up to scratch. Hope he enjoys a swansong.

That goal against Crystal Palace!

Thought he would be going places.

That McGeady fee must surely be wrong. 𧶲k for a player in the Championship is very low, especially when there have been far higher official bids made. Must be some add-ons, or sweeteners elsewhere.

Best of luck Aiden (who I've never hear badmouth the club even when it was clear his chance had gone) and James Vaughan who I always rated but, as stated above, had awful luck with injuries because he was almost too willing to impress.

Happy Birthday, lad! You got a new club for your birthday.

And yes, he is still the Premier League's youngest scorer ever -- 16 years, 271 days.

Only started eight games for us, maybe 60 appearances overall, and 8 goals I believe. I can't agree with some here that he'd have been a top player and 20-goal scorer because there simply wasn't much skill there, or much of a shot either. But my, oh my... all that pace... he certainly was fun to watch.

Anyway, we were getting battered in a typical Moyes performance and Vaughany came on and got at the back four and didn't allow them to rest on the ball. Think he scored or got an assist as suddenly we were dangerous on the break.

Maybe he was lacking in terms pure skill, but he knew where the goal was, he was fast, he was brave, and he never ever gave up.

Really happy for him that he's finally got a good move at his peak time of his career. I really liked him as a young player and thought he would have made it at the top, unfortunately injuries held him back. He's earned the move from working hard in the lower leagues over the last few years.

Probably a good example for other young players who get cut from Premier League teams at an early age. Most disappear to obscurity but he's stuck at it, even with the many injury setbacks he's had.

Good luck to James Vaughan, pity he couldn't have stayed at Huddersfield, he'd be back in the Premier League now, hope it works out at Sunderland, there's a few familiar faces to help him settle in.

I really liked him, and was gutted for him that for those injuries. Had so much more ability and heart than the more successful Big Victor.

Don't you realise the teams above us will and already have spent? The days of Sir John Moores have gone and ain't coming back.

I really hope James has a blast of a season, and Sunderland return to the Premier League, their long-suffering fans deserve it.

You left out Lescott.

That's a bit over the top and certainly no way to talk to a fellow Everton supporter.

We are all entitled to our views, especially someone like Kevin (#31) who has supported our club for six decades through thick and thin.

It has often been said that a lot more injuries are caused because the pace of the game is so much quicker albeit the tackling doesn't seem anywhere near as hard.