Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is ready to throw new signing Danny Graham straight into the frontline.

Graham is set to make his Mackems debut at Reading today and O'Neill cannot wait to let him off the leash.

He said: "Was I put off by the boos? It was a thought. I think he wanted to come and at that stage we were still trying to agree a fee.

"But it didn't put him off and he was very pleased to come. I was more concerned about our own performance against Swansea on the night than any booing. I didn't give it a great deal of thought at that stage.

"It was only afterwards when I started to think about it that I worried it might influence him.

"Danny grew up as a Newcastle fan and that is fine.

"I hope I am not speaking out of turn but maybe Lee Cattermole's dream was always to play for us. Yet when he was at Middlesbrough maybe it wasn't."