James McFadden signs up with Sunderland in comeback bid

Published on 20/10/2012 00:00

Scotland international James McFadden is set to sign a short-term contract at Sunderland in a bid to prove his fitness.

The two parties have agreed a deal in principle which would give the 29-year-old until the turn of the year to show manager Martin O’Neill what he can do over an extended period after he joined the club on trial last month.

O’Neill said: “Over the last week or so, I have been in contact with his agent. We have in principle agreed something which would suit us all. That would be a contract for a couple of months. I still feel James is a bit short of what I would consider real proper fitness.

“And I’m delighted to say, he’s not one of those lads who would want to hang around if he couldn’t make progress. It’s an arrangement that we still need to verify, but it might suit us all. It provides an incentive for James to get into the side over the next couple of months.”

O’Neill will send his players into derby battle tomorrow telling them they can emulate Newcastle’s return to prominence. The Magpies defied the odds last season to finish in fifth place in the Barclays Premier League and secure European football just two years after fighting their way back into the top flight in the wake of relegation.

O’Neill insists the recent success of their near neighbours should inspirehis players. He said: “Of course, it should do, absolutely. We should take our lead from them in that sense. It was an exceptional season. This time last year, I maybe felt, like a lot of people, they would do well to keep it going. But they did,and it was a terrific effort.”