Danny Collins admits he expected to be playing for Sunderland Football Club this season.

The defender has been a key part in the Black Cats survival in the Premier League for the past two campaigns, and captained the side in their opening games of the new term.

However, after Steve Bruce signed Michael Turner from Hull City in a deal which could be worth up to £12million, Collins was packed off to Stoke City in a £5million deal.

"It was a bit of a bolt out of the blue, to be honest, because I thought we'd done all right and I thought we were looking well set," Collins told the Sunderland Echo.

"I'd had the honour of captaining the side for the first three games and we'd won two out of three and made our best start to a Premier League season.

"But the manager called me in and told me he was looking to bring in a couple of new players and that the number of games I might play could be limited in the future.

"It was pretty clear to me that I didn't really figures in his plans. I've got a lot of friends at the club, in the team and from the area and I genuinely wish the lads well."


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