Matthew Kilgallon: I came to improve as a player

Feb 4 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

“That’s why I came to Sunderland, it’s why the move appealed.

“I knew if I came here, I’d have an excellent chance of becoming a better player and a better centre-half.

“The manager (Steve Bruce) played in that position and I will hopefully develop here.

“I could have stayed at Sheffield United until the summer (when his contract expired), but it felt right as soon as I found out the manager wanted me here.

“The team has been struggling a bit, but I’ve seen the quality we’ve got and we will turn it around.”

Bruce has already identified Saturday’s game at home to Wigan Athletic as crucial doing that. Last week he suggested consecutive matches against Stoke City and the Latics would determined whether the Black Cats spent the rest of the campaign looking up or down.

Failing to beat the Potters has only increased the tension.

“It will be another pressure game for us against Wigan on Saturday because they are another team who are sitting in a similar sort of position to ourselves in the league,” said Kilgallon.

“It’s one we will feel we can win. If we keep another clean sheet, I’ll be confident we’ll win because of Darren (Bent) and Kenwyne (Jones).”

Deadline-day signing Alan Hutton is set to make his Black Cats debut with Ghanaian John Mensah suffering another injury.

Mensah, who has been plagued by injuries since joining on loan from Lyon in the summer, picked up the unspecified problem against Stoke on Monday.

It was only his second game back since the calf injury which prevented him playing at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Both of those appearances came at right-back, Hutton’s preferred position.

The Scot, who joined on a six-month loan from Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, will compete for a place with Phil Bardsley.

Meanwhile, Sunderland’s Premier Reserve League North game at Burnley has been rearranged.

It will now be played on April 22 (7pm) at Accrington Stanley’s Crown Ground.