Roker Roundup: Sheffield Wednesday left back speaks of Sunderland’s summer transfer interest

Fox on Sunderland interest

Sunderland’s search for a senior player to act as competition for Denver Hume led them to Sheffield Wednesday left-back Morgan Fox in the summer.

Despite being keen to sign the player, the club were unable to agree a fee for the player and that led Jack Ross to turn to Leeds United’s Belgian left-back Laurens De Bock.

Morgan has been speaking about Sunderland’s interest in him and says all he could do was to get on with the job at hand. The 26-year-old is out-of-contract in the summer but, after recently winning his place in the team back, says he is happy as long as he is in the side:

Obviously, I was aware of it as it involved myself. In terms of me and the way I work, I just get on with it and get on with my job.

I spoke to Bully [former caretaker manager Lee Bullen] about it, but I’ve always been committed about doing my job here. Whenever I put on a shirt for Wednesday, I always give my most. I am enjoying my football and am back in the team now.

Obviously, I have only got until the end of the season and it is out of my hands really.

I am happy here and as long as I am in the team playing, I am going to be. But I always give my most, that is all I can do.

Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

No Italian job for Rodwell

Jack Rodwell seemed set for a surprise move to Italian giants AS Roma, with the former Sunderland player spending the last few days training with the Giallorossi as they look to ease an injury crisis.

It seems however that no move will be forthcoming with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claiming Rodwell failed to fully convince Roma’s managerial team and instead the Italian outfit will utilise central defender Gianluca Mancini in midfield until their injured players return.

The possible move to Roma breaking down will come as a blow to Rodwell, who had a glowing reference from his former Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat:

I’m not surprised, he was one of the brightest prospects in English football and this is confirmed by the fact that he was signed by Manchester City. After that, several injuries held back his growth, but he’s a player who, if fit, can show his full potential.

He’s an attacking midfielder with a great first touch. He often plays with two touches and and has very good vision.

I was at the helm of Sunderland for only a few months, but he’s undoubtedly an excellent player.

I don’t think he’ll struggle to adapt in Italy. He has the potential to do well in Serie A. His heavy contract with City slowed him down a bit, but he can be an important player again.

Meyler on signing for Sunderland

Former Sunderland midfielder David Meyler was a guest during the Off The Ball Roadshow recently and during the talk-in revealed how he came to sign for Sunderland.

Meyler explained that he did not want to leave the comforts of home but was told in no uncertain terms by his father that he was going to sign for Sunderland.

So keen was Meyler’s father John for the player to head to the North East, that he acted as his son’s agent, with very little success:

I didn’t want to leave [Cork]. I genuinely didn’t want to leave. I was thinking, ‘I’m living at home with my mum and dad. I’m 17. They’re offering me crazy money.’

I was like, ‘I’m staying.’ He was like, ‘You’re going. You’re going. You’re gone.’ So we went to Sunderland,”.

I’ll never forget. I went in to sign my first professional contract. So they put the offer on the table and my dad was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll have a chat about it and come back to you.’

So I said, ‘Dad, this isn’t what Cork City are offering me.’ He said, ‘I’ll negotiate with them.’

You’ve got a man who knows nothing about being an agent. So they come back in, I’ll never forget it.

They come back in and he says, ‘Yeah, yeah. This is the offer, yeah? Maybe we add on £500 extra.’ And they went no and he said, ‘Grand. David, sign’.

We went back and that was it. He said, ‘This is it.’ He shoved a note [under my door] and it had points of what to do on it.

And he said, ‘You’re not allowed home.’ That’s what he said to me.

There’s no home for you. That’s what he said. Now, my mum was obviously lovely and my mum would have accepted me home.

You can watch the full show with David Meyler and his father in the YouTube video below:

Photo by Patrick Bolger/Getty Images