New Sunderland defender George McCartney has slammed West Ham claims that he handed in a transfer request prior to his move to Wearside.

A club statement issued at the time of Alan Curbishley's departure said: "McCartney handed in a formal written transfer request after failing to resolve his personal reasons for wanting a move away."

However, the 27-year-old Northern Ireland international insisted he would have been happy to stay at Upton Park.

"Sunderland made a bid [for me] last week but I know West Ham turned it down," explained McCartney to BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I had a meeting with the manager and said that my family were quite unsettled in London so I was hoping to move back up north.

"But the manager said no, in no uncertain terms, I was staying at West Ham and the club wouldn't be accepting any fees.

"Then I got a call Sunday that the fee had been accepted so I had to make my way up north.

"I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request.

"I never did anything of the sort. It was purely a family issue and I never handed in a written transfer request.

"The state that the club's in at the minute they are just trying to cover their tracks with the supporters.

"These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."