Rodwell KO’d the chance of deadline move, says manager

Sunderland boss Chris Coleman has revealed that Jack Rodwell turned down the chance of a January move to an unnamed club.

The midfielder (pictured) doesn’t have a future on Wearside and has 18 months left to run on a contract worth £70,000 a week.

Cashstrapped Sunderland have offered to tear up Rodwell’s contract, but, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Rodwell said he would only walk away from his lucrative contract if a move to a new club was lined up.

Coleman has confirmed that a club made an approach for Rodwell last month, but the midfielder turned down the opportunity. The Sunderland boss did not name the club.

Speaking at his prematch press conference ahead of Ipswich’s visit tomorrow, Coleman said: “I’ve not yet had a knock on the door to say ‘I am ready, I want to play football’. Jack had the chance to go out this window.

“We said ‘yeah’. There was another club. I can’t name the club. Jack turned that opportunity down.

“I am not here to motivate this person or that person. Whatever you say, you are going to do then back it up. We need all hands to the pump.

“My door hasn’t been knocked, not that I know of.”

The 26-year-old saw a trail at Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem collapse last week for ‘organisational reasons’.

Rodwell looks set to stay at Sunderland for at least the remainder of this season.

He will not be eligible to sign for another club as a free agent this season.

The former Everton and Manchester City midfielder would have had to have agreed to terminate his contract before Wednesday night’s 11pm deadline to do so.

The news comes as a webpage has been set up counting down the days until his contract at Sunderland expires, which has 514 days left to run.

It is not known who is behind the webpage.