Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand admits he still has close ties to today's opponents West Ham.

It's just over a year since the 24-year-old left his native London bound for the north east after being purchased by former Sunderland chief Roy Keane.

Ferdinand told SAFC-TV: I'll get to see a lot of people who watched me grow up there - a second family, you could say.

"I'd been [at West Ham] since the age of 9, so it will be nice to play against them, but there's been massive changes since I left.

"I was sad to leave but you move on. I hope they stay in the Premier League because that club deserves nothing more than being in the best league in the world."