No tears from McAteer

Jason McAteer insists he would be thrilled to see George McCartney lead Sunderland out in this season’s FA Cup Final – despite knowing he could have had the job himself.

The 22-year-old Northern Ireland international will wear the captain’s armband at Old Trafford on Sunday as the Black Cats go into battle with Nationwide Division One rivals Millwall with the prize at stake a date at the Millennium Stadium with either Arsenal or Manchester United.

And if the Wearsiders do make it all the way to Cardiff, it will be McCartney and not McAteer, the man who started the season as skipper, who will be dreaming of a victory every bit as unlikely as the one his club achieved at Wembley in 1973 – and the chance to lift the most famous trophy in club football.

McAteer, now 32, was handed the armband during the summer when it became clear Michael Gray would be among the casualties as manager Mick McCarthy attempted to build a side with what was left after a post-relegation cull.

However, a series of injury problems coupled with a similar fate for the man who replaced him, Paul Thirlwell, led to McCartney getting the nod – and the manager has stuck with him ever since.

McAteer said: “I spoke to the gaffer at the beginning of the season and I asked him for more responsibility at the club after being told that he wanted to keep me here and I was going to be the senior professional.

“On that, he gave me the armband after losing Michael Gray and it was an absolute honour.

“It was fantastic for me and it was just something that was a great honour for me, to captain this football club and to be at the beginning of everything that’s happening now.

“I knew the ship was going to turn round and I knew we were going to go on to great things and I wanted to be a big part of that, so obviously being made captain was fantastic.

“Then unfortunately I did my hamstring against Nottingham Forest in the first game of the season and it was quite a nasty tear which kept me out for a bit.

“Then I came back and was given the armband back and in the first game after 20 minutes, did my other hamstring, which was an even worse tear.

“The armband was given to George and I missed quite a few games, and when I came back again, we sat down and George had done a good job and the gaffer said it would be a shame to take the armband off him.

“He said: ’He might have a reaction and his confidence might get knocked by it, so we’ll just run with it’.

“We’ve run with it and run with it and we’ve ended up in the semi-final of the cup and he might be leading the lads out, so I’m gutted!”

However, McAteer is adamant he is happy simply to be preparing for the semi-final after a traumatic period in Sunderland’s history, and while he admits that there might be a little pang, he is fully behind McCartney.

“All joking aside, I do the talk in the huddle and – they’ll probably tell you different – I feel I’m respected by the lads and I act appropriately,” he said.

“I’m still called the club captain and I still have to do all the dirty jobs.

“But George has been fantastic and I certainly don’t want to take that armband back off him – unless he wants to give me it back,” he added with a smile.