Read more about Sunderland.
New boy closes in on debut
Sunderland, 11:25, September 10, 2008 ,
Anton Ferdinand has declared himself fit after featuring in the reserve win over Hartlepool and now hopes to play at Wigan on Saturday.
Ferdinand joined the Black Cats from West Ham just a few days before the closure of the transfer window but has yet to make his senior debut due to the international break.
There were concerns the centre-back was struggling with a minor hamstring injury but, after playing an hour in the second string's 4-0 win over Hartlepool, the 23-year-old declared himself fully fit and satisfied with the work-out ahead of the Premier League clash at the JJB Stadium this weekend.
He said: "I enjoyed the game. It all went to plan. My hamstring felt fine and that was what it was all about.
"I think it was a useful workout - I got a little bit of a game under my belt and although it wasn't a first-team game, it was nice to put on a Sunderland shirt and get out there."
Ferdinand added in the Sunderland Echo: "It was a good workout, good to get out playing again and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hadn't played for almost a month so every minute is good."