Sunderland Left Feeling 'Bitter' After Jack Colback Completes Newcastle Switch

Sunderland have aimed a cheap shot at Jack Colback and admitted his exit left a "bitter taste" after Newcastle completed the signing of the Geordie midfielder yesterday. The resentful Mackems were left to stew last night after losing Colback on a Bosman free transfer to their greatest rivals and issued a statement illustrating their disappointment at not recouping a fee for the 24-year-old after nurturing his talent through their academy. And it was even suggested the boyhood Newcastle fan had indicated that he was prepared to extend his contract at the Stadium of Light only to ruffle the feathers of our Wearside neighbours by penning a long-term deal with the Magpies to fulfil a lifelong dream to wear the Black and White stripes.

€œThis wasn€™t about money - the club agreed to all of the terms demanded of us during discussions and we were always led to believe that Jack wanted to stay with us," the statement said on Sunderland's official website

€œAt his and his representatives€™ request, final talks were put on hold until the club secured its top flight status. To our dismay however, we were subsequently never given the chance to negotiate with him to stay.

€œFor him to then leave the club that has supported him throughout his formative years in such a manner, with no chance for Sunderland to recover any of the significant investment that it has made in him as a player, has left a bitter taste." It makes the capture of Colback even sweeter knowing it has irked Sunderland to the point where they consider it appropriate to inanely admonish a player for choosing to leave their club under the freedom of contract. They only have themselves to blame. More specifically their former director of football, Roberto Di Fanti, made Colback's mind up last summer when he offered the Killingworth-born star derisory terms on his £6,000-a-week deal. And we've reaped the benefits of their intransigence by snapping up a talented local player with a his best years still ahead of him.