Gray leaves Black Cats for Blackburn

MICHAEL GRAY yesterday ended his 14-year association with Sunderland by signing for Blackburn.

The remainder of the full-back’s current two-and-a-half-year contract has been taken over by the Lancashire club as Sunderland continue their efforts to reduce their wage bill following relegation from the Barclaycard Premiership last season.

He is expected to make his debut for Rovers against Chelsea on Sunday, and manager Graeme Souness is confident he will prove a good addition to his squad.

Meanwhile, Bolton have sent one of their backroom team to Tunisia to monitor Jay-Jay Okocha’s fitness during the African Nations Cup.

The influential Nigerian playmaker played his first match at lunchtime yesterday against Morocco. Club physio Faz Page said: “All I am doing basically is just to shadow Jay-Jay and make sure that he is getting his regular supplements, getting his regular treatment.”