/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67365575/472751270.jpg.0.jpg)
Sunderland have re-signed striker Danny Graham on a one-year-deal following his release from Championship club Blackburn Rovers in July.
The 35-year-old joins Phil Parkinson’s side to compete with fellow strikers Charlie Wyke, Aiden O’Brien and Will Grigg.
Graham scored 57 goals in five seasons at Blackburn, winning promotion from League One in 2018.
Last season the striker scored four goals, but was frequently utilised from the bench after losing his starting place to Adam Armstrong and Sam Gallagher, as Tony Mowbray’s side finished 11th in the Championship.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21811485/1227127302.jpg.jpg)
It will be Graham’s second spell with Sunderland after a highly unsuccessful first spell from 2013 to 2016.
He was signed by Martin O’Neill for £5m in January 2013, after an impressive debut Premier League campaign with Swansea where he scored 12 goals.
He failed to score in his first seven matches before O’Neill was sacked, before also failing to find the net under Paolo Di Canio as Sunderland narrowly escaped relegation.
The following season Graham was loaned to Hull where he continued to struggle to score in the Premier League, which led to him returning to Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Under Gus Poyet Graham found himself back in the Sunderland side as cover for Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher, but was once again loaned to the Championship with Wolves.
His best spell on Wearside came under Dick Advocaat, where Graham finally broke his duck scoring in a 2-0 away win against Everton.
His last season at Sunderland was spent mainly as a substitute under Sam Allardyce, before he was loaned to Blackburn in January 2016 following the signing of Dame N’Doye.
Overall, Graham scored just once in 42 matches for Sunderland before he joined Blackburn permanently.
The 35-year-old is Sunderland’s sixth signing on the transfer window, joining O’Brien, Bailey Wright, Morgan Feeney, Remi Matthews and Arbenit Xhemajli.
Should he be selected, Graham could make his second Sunderland debut against Bristol Rovers at the Stadium of Light.