McGeady so happy to play for Grayson again

“I’m really positive [about the season ahead].

“When we played Sunderland last week with Bury it was an eye-opener – I was surprised how good some of the players were.”

Ex-Everton, Norwich and Huddersfield forward Vaughan has signed a twoyear deal, with Bury chairman Stewart Day saying he had joined the ‘biggest club outside the Premier League.’

McGeady, who has signed a three-year contract, is excited at the prospect of teaming up with Grayson again after a successful loan at Preston in the Championship last season.

The Republic of Ireland international, who has previously played for Celtic, Spartak Moscow and Everton, said: “It was probably the biggest pull [Grayson] for me.

“Obviously a club like Sunderland is difficult to turn down, but, at this stage of my career, I knew I had to think carefullyaboutthenextmove, and he got the best out of me at Preston.

“The two of them together, I couldn’t turn it down.

“He took the shackles off myself, I played freely and he gave me the confidence to do that, to not be scared of trying things.”

The signings come as a relief for Grayson, who had made strengthening the attack a key priority.

The sales of Jermain Defoe and Fabio Borini left Sunderland without a recognised striker, with Jeremain Lens and Wahbi Khazri’s likely departures leaving the Black Cats vulnerable out wide, too.

Grayson is likely to try to sign at least one more striker and one more wide player in the coming weeks.

Sunderland are in friendly action against Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park tomorrow (2pm kick-off ).

They move on to meet Hartlepool United on Tuesday, before tackling Bradford City, Scunthorpe and McGeady’s former club, Celtic.

The Championship season kicks off with a home match against Derby County on Friday, August 4, with Sunderland then travelling to meet Bury in the Carabao Cup the following Thursday, giving Vaughan an early chance to play against his former teammates.