SUNDERLAND skipper Lee Cattermole has mounted a staunch defence of his playing style and disciplinary record – maintaining he’s made just one “bad” challenge in his career and his reputation precedes him with referees.

The Black Cats midfielder has carved a career as a high-octane performer who is not afraid to make tackles, but he was under scrutiny after being withdrawn early in the West Brom draw because Steve Bruce feared that he would pick up a second booking.

Cattermole admits to frustration at that turn of events but believes Albion midfielder Steven Reid was culpable because he was “rolling around like a girl” after challenges put him.

The midfielder refutes suggestions that he is a dirty player but admits he needs a period of keeping his nose clean to address referee’s perceptions of him.

“To be honest, it’s the second time it’s happened with the lad Steven Reid from West Brom,” said Cattermole.

“He’s six foot four and he rolls around like a girl, simple as that. It’s twice it’s happened now and it’s a shame.

“People whinge about the foreigners, but he’s a British lad and he’s acting like that. I was booked for that challenge, and then the second one was on him again. I didn’t touch him, he kicked the ball, and then he jumped up in the air. He thought about rolling around again then, but he got up and the referee saw that.

“The gaffer took me off, and I was gutted because I felt as though I was really coming into the game. We were dominating the match and I felt as though we were going to go on to win.

“The gaffer gave me his reasons afterwards and it was understandable. The way things had gone, I think the referee was waiting for me to make a foul. They are out there for me at the minute, but maybe it’s my stupid mistakes in the past that have got me that reputation.

“I can’t sit here and blame everyone else. I have to get rid of that reputation, but it’s so hard at the minute when I find myself getting a succession of soft yellow cards. It does affect your game.

“It’s something I have to address, but if you put every foul I’ve ever made up on the television, I think there’d be one tackle which was actually a bad one. That was against Scott Parker when I was playing for Wigan and I’ve spoken to him since to apologise about it. That’s the only bad tackle I’ve made in my career – all the rest have been genuine attempts to win the ball.

“You see some tackles and you wonder. Look at Kompany on Cahill the other day – he just went straight over the ball into someone’s shin. I’ve never done that in my life.

“I’m not a dirty player – I’m just an honest player, but maybe that’s the way football is going at the moment.”

Cattermole is set to retain his place for the trip to Arsenal on Sunday and says he has been largely unaffected by Bruce’s decision to drop him – even if it was not one that he agreed with.

“I felt like I played well against Liverpool and against Newcastle, a game that we absolutely dominated. I was in the thick of things there,” he said.

“Then two games later we played five in midfield, and five in midfield against Chelsea doesn’t really suit my style of play.

“They were asking me to be more defensive and more restricted and I like to get up against people. It just didn’t suit me. That’s not why I came here.

“I came here to play in a 4-4-2 with two strikers and a high tempo. Maybe that style of play didn’t suit me on the day, although I didn’t think I did worse than anyone else on the pitch against Chelsea so I was a bit surprised I got left out for a game I would have thrived in against Stoke.

“The gaffer’s spoke about it and I don’t have a problem. I’m not going to sulk.

“I’ll go out and train hard, and if I’ve got anything to say, I’ll knock on his door and say it to his face.”

Cattermole also said that talk of Steve Bruce being sacked was “ridiculous” – claiming the furore at Sunderland’s start was unique to the North East.

“There’s no doubt that all the players are behind the manager.

“Pretty much everyone who is in that squad now has either been signed by Steve or has renewed a contract since he came.

“He’s obviously talked to all of those players one-on-one and told them how much he wants them to be here.

“(The furore) is just what happens in the North East.

“It’s why managers have found it so difficult to manage in the North East.

“If you look at our stats and the effort we’re putting into games, sometimes it’s said that’s all the fans want but it’s obviously not.

“They want to be up there challenging European spots – maybe they want that because they’ve never had it.

“But the gaffer is doing a better job here than most – I’m not sure where the pressure is coming from but we’re better off looking at it at the end of the season.”