PLAYER PROFILE

Gavin McCann

Position: Midfield

Height: 6'1

Weight: 12st 8lbs

Date of Birth: 1978-01-10 Blackpool, England

Gavin McCann

Gavin McCann made his Premiership debut with Everton but never had the chance to establish himself in the first team and was set for a move to Port Vale before Sunderland's Peter Reid was alerted and snapped up the youngster in 1998.

His passing skills, sharp tackling and genuine ability to use two feet ensured him a regular place in the heart of the Black Cats midfield, whilst drawing admirers from all over the Premiership.

McCann was an integral part of the Sunderland set-up, becoming one of Peter Peter Reid's most exciting young players and earning an England cap under Sven Goran Eriksson.

Unfortunately, the 2002/03 season took its toll on a lot of the Sunderland players. Both Peter Reid and his successor Howard Wilkinson received their marching orders from the Sunderland hotseat and the underperforming players were blamed as the club was relegated from the league after finishing bottom.

Mick McCarthy was installed as manager towards the end of that disastrous season, but many players lost confidence and McCarthy was forced to cut the wage bill.

The final straw for McCann came when he was not given his usual shirt number in the team, and so in July 2003 he left the club, signing a 3-year contract with David O'Leary's Aston Villa for £2.25million.

He was an instant hit at Villa Park, becoming a regular in midfield. However, his disciplinary record was rather more troublesome and McCann ended up serving a five-match ban in February for picking up two red cards and five yellows.

The 2004/05 season, however, proved a bitter disappointment. Despite a good start to the season which saw him make 23 appearances and score once, a knee injury suffered in January kept him out for the rest of the season. O'Leary admitted that his absence was a huge loss for a below par Villa.

Thankfully for both McCann and Villa, he returned in the 2005/06 season, proving a rock in midfield in the 38 games he played. He played a further 31 games in 06/07, but left the club in June 2007 to sign for Bolton Wanderers.