ROKER ROUNDUP: Ex-Sunderland man on how Brighton striker Glenn Murray could’ve been a Black Cat

Glenn Murray - Almost a Black Cat once!

On this week’s episode of the Undr The Cosh Podcast, former Sunderland striker Chris Brown told an interesting story about how, in 2004, Glenn Murray almost became a Sunderland player.

Brown - who came through Sunderland’s youth system before departing on a permanent basis for Norwich City in 2007 - hosts the show along with former Cardiff striker Jon Parkin and a Bolton-based comedian who is also called Chris Brown.

In the latest installment, the one-time Roker Rapport Podcast guest recalled a memory of Murray in 2004, when he ended up on trial at Sunderland following an arrangement made between the club and the University of Carolina.

In the first game of our pre-season, McCarthy’s side took on a Carolina USL All-Stars team which included Murray, who was over in the States on a scholarship at the time. As part of an agreement made when setting up the fixture, Sunderland agreed to take one member of the Carolina side on trial over in England, and it was Murray who made the trip across.

As Brown tells it, McCarthy decided not to give Murray a permanent contract but did help to put him in touch with contacts over in England, and recommended him to Carlisle United when he was playing and scoring for non-league Barrow.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Murray went on to have an incredibly successful career in the Football League and, at the ripe old age of 34, is still scoring with alarming regularity in the Premier League - he has three goals in four appearances so far this season for Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion.

Murray joins a list of players who we passed up an opportunity to sign at some point in the past which also contains far more illustrious names such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Gascoigne, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Jon Dahl Tomasson.

You can listen to the show, in its entirety, on iTunes or by clicking the Acast link below.

Former Sunderland striker arrested for assault

According to reports in Denmark, former Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner has been arrested on a charge of assault after he broke a taxi driver’s jaw in the early hours of Sunday morning in Copenhagen.

Bendtner - a controversial figure throughout his career who gained infamy for his flamboyant off-the-field personality - scored 8 goals in 28 Premier League appearances during a season-long loan spell on Wearside during the 2011-12 season.

Currently on the books of Norwegian champions Rosenborg, the striker was missing from Denmark’s squad for their UEFA Nations League win over Wales yesterday in Aarhus and was instead back home enjoying a break from competitive club action for his club side.

Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet claims that Bendtner was out in the nation’s capital on Saturday night, and was charged by police following the alleged assault.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Sunderland midfielder set to add to his own squad

And, to round off, some uplifting news as Sunderland midfielder Max Power has found out that he’ll be welcoming another little boy to his young family.

Power already has two children with his wife but they are expecting a third, and yesterday he found out that he’ll have to start forking out for tins of blue paint and Sunderland baby-grows.

Congratulations Max from us all here at Roker Report - we hope that your year only continues to get better not only off the pitch, but on it with Sunderland.