Ireland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood is determined to regain the number one shirt at Sunderland after the club sold Belgian international Simon Mignolet to Liverpool.

Westwood spent all of last season on the bench as Mignolet’s understudy and is keen to make a fresh start after failing in his bid to leave last year.

“It would have been a wrench to leave, but on the other side of it, I have to think of my career,” Westwood said.

“I have to play games and have something to look forward to during the week, putting all that work in on the training field to send fans home happy on a Saturday.

“I didn’t have that last year, but I still carried on going. At times, it was mentally demoralizing.

“I want to play. Everybody knows I want to play. It’s not in my nature to sit on the bench. I would rather go and play for a Championship team on less money and play every week, just so I get that buzz on a Saturday.

“Sitting on the bench in the Premier League and picking up money is not my desire or attitude. It’s a trap I don’t want to fall into.”