Etuhu inspired by Keane-Vieira duels

SUNDERLAND midfielder Dickson Etuhu admits he was inspired by Roy Keane’s famously fearsome tussles with Patrick Vieira.

Etuhu showed his own combative qualities in his clash with Joey Barton in Saturday’s 1-1 derby draw at the Stadium of Light, where the Newcastle star was lucky to escape punishment for a groin-high tackle on the Nigerian international.

Black Cats boss Keane, who signed Etuhu from Norwich this summer for £1.5m, is determined to turn him into the finished article.

Etuhu, 25, revealed: “He wants to improve me as a player. I’ve got to know what we have to work on and he’s the perfect guy to teach me. I’m sure everybody looked at him as a player and saw what a great player he was – and I’m definitely enjoying every minute of working with him.

“Obviously, as they were playing in my position at the time, I would watch the gaffer and Vieira’s battles — every football fan loved those Man United-Arsenal matches.

“I wanted to be educated and get tips from the top players and they don’t come much better than those two.”

Etuhu confided that Keane is still the midfield enforcer on the training pitch. He said: “He absolutely controls the whole midfield and shows how well he could still do if he was playing and fit.

“He likes to keep himself apart from the players and it works well because everybody just gets on with it and runs that bit extra when we’re training – especially if he’s out there.

“He still runs it, still appeals for every throw-in, every foul and every yellow card.

“You don’t really want to be in his team, though, because if you are he canes you all the time in the game. He never stops ordering you about and shouting and talking and encouraging.

“If you’re playing against him, you know you’re in for a hard game. He just lets the ball go at the perfect time — every time — just before you get there. I haven’t seen anyone try to nail him yet — but would you?”

Meanwhile, midfielder Dean Whitehead has been cleared to make his Sunderland comeback in tonight’s friendly at Falkirk.

Skipper Whitehead, out since August with knee-ligament damage, is in the squad for Andy Lawrie’s testimonial. Keane said: “Deano is raring to go and it’ll be great to see him back.’’