Turner just the type Bruce was looking for

Sep 12 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

STEVE BRUCE believes England prospect Michael Turner is precisely the calibre of player to set the benchmark for his Sunderland revolution.

The 25-year-old joined the Black Cats a fortnight ago in a £6m move from Hull City. He is expected to make his debut, against the Tigers, today.

After Bruce dropped his interest in free agent Lucas Neill and revealed Anton Ferdinand’s reported transfer window move to Tottenham was “never going to be a goer”, the addition of Turner, he said, gave him just the competition for centre-back places he craves.

And, Bruce added, as one of the Premier League’s brightest young defensive prospects, Turner can set an important new standard at the Stadium of Light.

“He is exactly the type of player I hoped I would be able to sign when I took this job,” Bruce said. “He is the sort you want and I like his grounding. He has come from the lower divisions, played there a long time.

“He is tough, uncompromising and everyone watched him in the lower divisions and said ‘I wonder if he could play at a higher level’. He is a better footballer than a lot of people think.

“He is very decent with the ball at his feet and had a really good season with Hull last year, a fantastic season.

“He is another one, the right age, who ticks all the boxes. I’m delighted to get him in.

“I know what he’s like because there were (similar) times in my own career – I was seven years at Gillingham – and everyone looked and I thought I was never going to get the chance. They said I couldn’t run, wasn’t big enough and I thought I was just going to end up in the lower divisions so I needed someone to take a chance with me and that is what happened.”

Now Bruce has taken that chance on Turner, knowing it hands Sunderland a number of options in the heart of their defence and short of tipping Turner for next summer’s World Cup, Bruce has also hinted that a good season could yet extend those options to the England squad.

“He is up against some really good players in that department,” Bruce said.

“Yeah, he has a chance but we have some really big players in that position. Two of our world-class players are the two centre-backs, (John) Terry and (Rio) Ferdinand.

“They are as good as they get but it’s a long season and certainly you could not rule him out. Last year, I know he was on the fringes. All he can do is go and have a really good season with us, and who knows?

“I could play him with Anton but I have also brought in (John) Mensah and (Paulo) Da Silva and we still have (Nyron) Nosworthy in there too.

“I have competition for places there. It’s about finding the combination that we need.

“I think all of those centre-backs will like to play with Turner because they will all suit him.

“He is the big dominant one we have brought in who likes to attack the ball and I don’t think we had that before he arrived.

“There’s obviously a method in what I was trying to do. I just believe the squad was too big and what I wanted to do was reduce it and bring in the quality which allowed me to reduce it. Looking back at what we have done, I am really pleased.

“Now we just need a bit of luck and for the big players to hit the ground running – Michael for instance, Mensah, Da Silva, who was absolutely fantastic for Paraguay against Argentina (on Wednesday). He was magnificent. He will be a big player for us when he starts. Given a bit of time, I am sure they will all be good for us.”

:: Hull manager Phil Brown has urged the club’s fans to remember former captain Turner’s achievements when he lines up against the Tigers for new club Sunderland tohis afternoon.

Turner joined the Black Cats on transfer deadline day and although Brown admits the defender’s “mind, heart and soul” were elsewhere at the time, he does not expect him to get a rough ride from the travelling fans at the Stadium of Light.

Turner was a key figure in the club’s surprise elevation from second-tier strugglers to Premier League survivors.

“I think he’ll get a good reception, I don’t see any reason why there shouldn’t be,” said Brown, a boyhood Sunderland fan from South Shields.

“He’s been a fabulous servant, took the club from bottom of the Championship and had three wonderful years here. Michael has been a stalwart of the club and we wish him well.”