Sunderland boss proud of Wickham

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce believes his club should be proud that they sealed the signature of England youth international Connor Wickham. It is reported that the Black Cats paid as much as £12m to Ipswich to sign the burly striker.

Bruce was clearly delighted as he spoke of the signing of the England under-21 international.

Bruce believes that the player has a great future ahead of him and he hinted that he may even be playing in the first team next season.

The Sunderland boss said: “The signing of Connor Wickham is a ­statement of intent by ­Sunderland. It is a bold signing that shows we are building for the future. There were a lot of top clubs tracking him, but we were the ones who were prepared to meet Ipswich’s valuation.

“It is also a testament to our progress as a club that Connor wanted to come here. I am sure he will be a big hit with the fans.”