Southend have signed striker Roy O'Donovan on a month-long loan deal from Sunderland. 23-2-10: Hartlepool have signed Sunderland striker Roy O'Donovan on loan until the end of the season. The 24-year-old is well down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light and Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is happy to loan out the Irishman. O'Donovan has impressed while training with Pools over the last week and could make his debut against Carlisle on Tuesday night. "It's an opportunity for him to show us what we can do," Pools' director of sport Chris Turner told the club's official website "He has genuine pace which I feel we've been lacking. I think he'll freshen things up for us and hopefully enjoy his spell with the club."