Sunderland sign McShane

Sunderland have signed defender Paul McShane from West Brom in an initial £1.5m deal, according to the midlands club.

The fee could ultimately rise to £2.5m for the Republic of Ireland defender, 21, who joined the Baggies from Manchester United last summer and made 42 appearances, scoring three times.

Three quarters of that extra £1m is based on appearances plus a further £250,000 if the Black Cats retain their top-flight status this season or regain it during McShane's stay in the north-east.

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray said: "I want to thank Paul for his contribution last season. He's a terrific lad with a terrific attitude to football.

"But Paul intimated to me in very strong terms that his ambitions lay away from this football club.

"I've said it many times before that I want players here who want to play for the shirt so that we can move the club forward together.

"We've now sold three players who made it clear they wanted to leave.

"We now have an opportunity to build a new team with players who are fully committed to taking the club forward."

McShane is Sunderland boss Roy Keane's sixth signing of the summer after recruiting Greg Halford, Russell Anderson, Michael Chopra, Kieran Richardson and Dickson Etuhu, but he has missed out on several high-profile signings.

Keane withdrew his offer for Preston's highly-rated England U-21 striker David Nugent after waiting in vain for an answer from the player, and Wigan full-back Leighton Baines has politely declined the offer of a big-money move to the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats boss has also revealed his pursuit of Hearts keeper Craig Gordon, who is valued by his club at up to £10m, is at an end.

However, he insists he respects the decisions of those players who have resisted his overtures having faced similar choices during his own illustrious career.