Matthew Kilgallon

By The Black Cats
January 22 2010

Sunderland have signed Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon for an undisclosed fee on a three and a half year contract. Kilgallon is sunderland's first player in this transfer window.

The 26 year old is mMost often used as a centre-back but can also play at left back - a position we have struggled in this season.

Kilgallon came through Leeds' youth system and made 95 appearances for the Yorkshire side before a £2m move took him to the red half of Sheffield and Bramall Lane in January 2007.

Kilgallon collected the Blades' Player of the Season Award in 2008-09.

Kilgallon has been capped by England at Under-21 level on five occasions.

Steve Bruce said: "Matthew is a very talented defender and has been coveted by a number of top-flight clubs recently, so I'm very pleased to have brought him here."

"He will add to our options across the back ahead of some very important games. I'm sure he'll prove to be a great signing for the club."

Kilgallon will be unavailable for this Saturday's trip to Portsmouth due to being cup tied as he has already appeared in the FA Cup for Sheffield United this season.

"I'm really pleased. I wasn't sure what was going on, it happened really fast," said Kilgallon, who has signed on at the Stadium of Light until summer 2013.

"I came here and met the gaffer, saw the facilities and thought 'this is for me'.

"I was out having something to eat when I got a phone call saying Sunderland were interested.

"I almost choked on my pasta! I thought, 'yes, let's see what they have to say' and now I'm here."

"Sheffield United are a great club and I had some great times there, but I'm ready to go on to the next level now and hopefully I can do that here.

"The gaffer was a centre-half and he wasn't bad, was he? That was a big thing for me - hopefully he can make me into a better player. I want to learn.

"The fan base and the facilities are excellent here too. It was quite an easy decision in the end.

"Sunderland have some really good players here already; it'll be interesting to train with them and hopefully it will improve me too. I'm looking forward to it."

"The Premier League is definitely the place every player wants to be. I was ready to kick on and I wanted to play in the top flight.

"I'm at a club now which has the ambition to stay in the Premier League for years to come and I want to be a part of that."