McAteer named Sunderland skipper

Jason McAteer will lead Sunderland into their Division One campaign after being handed the captain’s armband by manager Mick McCarthy.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who enjoyed the highs of international football under McCarthy’s stewardship of the Republic of Ireland, succeeds Michael Gray, who has become a peripheral figure at the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats seek to off-load their biggest earners.