The 35-year-old, who only retired from playing in the close season after a six-month stint at Scottish champions Celtic, took a trip to Sunderland's Academy of Light.

And he is also expected to be among the crowd on Monday at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland take on West Brom in a must-win Championship match.

Despite starting the season as one of the promotion favourites, Sunderland are rock-bottom after four games with no points.

At the start of the season, chairman Niall Quinn had appointed himself as manager but quit in midweek after his side were dumped out of the League Cup by League Two Bury, who at the time were propping up the entire football league structure in England.