Steve Harper admits a move to Sunderland has stunned him.

The 40 year-old, who spent 20 years with Newcastle United, will provide cover at the Stadium of Light for Vito Mannone and Jordan Pickford until the end of the season following the departure of Costel Pantilimon.

“It's been a bit of a whirlwind, how it all happened," Harper told Sunderland's official website, safc.com.

“I saw the manager in the summer when we were guests at a wedding, not together I might add, and we got chatting because we were obviously both out of the game at the time.

“I worked with him before at Newcastle and I got a phone call yesterday asking how I was, what my fitness was like and if I fancied coming in for a chat, so I came in this morning and however many hours later we've had a good chat, done a few tests and I've signed on the dotted line.

“I played for Seaham Red Star when I was 15 and it's not a million miles way – Easington where I was born is about a ten-minute drive – but it's taken a long time to get here, bypassing it on the way.

“I turned down a lot of offers in the summer; I had a chance to join Premier League club and Championship club in August and three offers to go to India, but I think my career proves I'm a bit of a home bird.

“I think if I hadn't played the last seven games of last season I probably would have finished, but I played the last seven keeping three clean sheets and just had that gnawing feeling that I had a bit of unfinished business, so I kept myself ticking over.

“I was in shock when he [Sam Allardyce] rang but over the course of today, seeing the training field, and that little gnawing feeling that there was something left in me, I thought why not."