HAMMERS NEWS: Ferdinand seals Sunderland switch
3:26pm Wednesday 27th August 2008
ANTON Ferdinand has completed his long-awaited move to Sunderland.
The West Ham defender successfully passed a medical at the Stadium of Light on Monday before putting the finishing touches to his personal terms and signing a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £8million.
Ferdinand's departure ends a decade-long association with the Hammers, who he joined as a schoolboy and went on to make 163 league and cup appearances for, scoring five goals.
However, the 23-year-old Academy graduate has found his career blighted by injuries and inconsistent form since his missed penalty saw the Irons lose the 2006 FA Cup final to Liverpool in heart-breaking circumstances.
Ferdinand's final two seasons at Upton Park were also blighted by off-field incidents.
In February 2007, he was fined for traveling to the United States for a friend's birthday party when he had told manager Curbishley he was visiting his sick grandmother on the Isle of Wight.
Last November, the defender was cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray following an incident at an Ilford nightclub.
And when the player turned down an improved £35,000-a-week contract earlier this summer, the Irons decided to cash-in on the former England Under-21 international.
Irons manager Alan Curbishley said the club's other central defensive options, including England's Matthew Upson, Wales pair James Collins and Danny Gabbidon, Calum Davenport and youngsters James Tomkins, Jordan Spence and Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, meant Ferdinand was expendable.
“There has been a lot of speculation over the transfer but the bottom line is we have a lot of defenders at the club and the circumstances around the deal mean it was the right decision,” he said.
“As I have said previously, I believe we have a strong enough squad and this will especially encourage James Tomkins to show me what he is capable of doing.”
Sunderland manager Roy Keane admitted his new signing was far from the finished article but said he was looking forward to ironing out the player's deficiencies.
"We needed to strengthen our defence and Anton is a great signing,” said the Irishman.
“He'll bring quality and competition for places which is what we want – hopefully we can take him to another level at Sunderland.
“He has come through the ranks at West Ham and maybe just needs a change.”
Ferdinand, who becomes Sunderland's ninth transfer window signing, is the sixth senior player to leave the Boleyn Ground this summer following the departures of Freddie Ljungberg, Nobby Solano, Bobby Zamora, John Pantsil and Richard Wright.
The player himself is excited about linking up with Keane, who played alongside his older brother Rio at Manchester United.
“It was hard leaving West Ham because I had been there for 16 years, but after meeting Roy Keane I knew it was time for a change,” he said.
“I think the move will do me good.”