Summer keeper search for Cats boss Steve Bruce
Mar 19 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
CRAIG Gordon has successfully established himself as Sunderland’s first-choice goalkeeper under Steve Bruce, although he will soon have a new rival to push him.
Bruce has confirmed he will allow Márton Fülöp to leave in the summer as the Hungarian is disillusioned at the club after Gordon reclaimed the goalkeeper’s jersey after injury.
Bruce has even preferred to select Trevor Carson on the bench, with Fülöp completely frozen out, although he will sign a young replacement keeper in the summer to keep the pressure on Gordon.
A move for Wigan shot-stopper Chris Kirkland is unlikely as he will only switch if he is guaranteed top billing at the Stadium of Light, but the Black Cats are interested in Coventry’s Keiren Westwood, Huddersfield Town’s England Under-19 international Alex Smithes and Sheffield Wednesday’s Lee Grant.
That piece of business can wait until the summer, and Bruce is happy to see Gordon delivering the sort of performances that persuaded his predecessor Roy Keane to pay £9m to sign him from Heart of Midlothian in 2007.
“It was a big blow to lose him when we did with his broken arm because he was having his best spell for us,” said Bruce.
