Sunderland keeper Keiren Westwood has first-team football as his priority. The Republic of Ireland keeper has been limited to just 13 appearances since joining from Coventry in July 2011, by the form and fitness of Simon Mignolet.

However, Mignolet's summer move to Liverpool offers the 28-year-old the chance to compete with new signing Vito Mannone for the number one jersey.

"For the sake of my career, I have to play," Westwood told BBC Newcastle.

"I love it here [at Sunderland], it's great. It's a fantastic club to be at and I couldn't have gone to much better, but I have to play football - I didn't play most of last season.

"It's not a club I want to leave, I've a lot of friends here, I love it and hopefully I can be playing."