John O’Shea has signed for Niall Quinn’s Sunderland – as Aston Villa prepare to end Shay Given’s Manchester City misery.

Ireland defender O’Shea has signed a four year deal with Sunderland while Given will complete his move to Villa in a $5million transfer next week.

O’Shea joins former Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown at the Stadium of Light with manager Steve Bruce still keen to add Irish midfielder Darron Gibson to the mix.

Waterford born O’Shea was one of the longest serving players at United but is excited by the move to the North-East of England.

He said: “It was one of those things. I was there for 13 years and they were 13 fantastic years.

“But this is a nice new exciting chapter for me now and hopefully we can have good times with Sunderland like I had at Manchester United.

“When I spoke to Steve, the manager, and heard his ideas and the ambition he has shown this summer in the players he is signing and the improvements he wants to make at the club and the strides he wants to make to go forward, I am just looking forward to being a part of it now.”

Gibson has yet to complete the hat-trick of United old boys for Bruce, himself a former Old Trafford captain, but O’Shea had no hesitation in agreeing the deal believed to have cost Sunderland $7million in transfer fees.

O’Shea said: “Once I heard reports about the club and the people here, the ambitions and what the manager is all about, it was the only place I was going to come to once I knew the deal was on the table and close to being done.

“I had to wait a few weeks for the birth of my child - that’s why it seems protracted, but it wasn’t really, it was fairly straightforward, and I am delighted that it’s all been done now.

“I am coming to Sunderland now after one of their most successful seasons in the Premier

League, and always the aim with every team is to improve on the season before.

“That’s what, I am sure, the manager will be drilling into us in pre-season, that we want to improve on the season before, and if we can do that, I’m sure the club and the fans will be delighted.”