Power: I would never have left Wigan for any club but the Cats
season.
“Then I remember getting called in to (manager) Paul Cook’s office.
“Deadline day was on the Thursday, and this was on the Tuesday.
“There had been murmurings of clubs being interested and that I might be moving on.
“But he pulled me in and said I would be starting on the Saturday.
“We had Aston Villa away and I was going to play tucked in off the right, so my focus was just on the weekend.
“Then I got a phone call on the Thursday saying they had got a bid from Sunderland and I was free to leave.
“It was the first time in my career that I had been told by a manager that I was no longer wanted.”
There are no regrets for Power though, who admits the lure of playing for a ‘big club’ such as the Black Cats proved a real selling point behind his decision to move to Wearside.
And a series of phone calls on his way to the North East only reinforced his desire to be a part of the club – even though it meant dropping down a division and putting his dreams of Championship football on the back-burner.
“I ended up joining a big club, and looking back I don’t think I would have left Wigan for any other club,” admitted Power.
“I remember ringing a lot of people on the way up to Sunderland asking ‘should I do it? Should I not?’ and every single person came back with the same answer.
“It’s all good and well playing in the Championship, but how often does an opportunity come along to play for Sunderland? That made my mind up for me.”
Power has scored five goals in 62 appearances for Sunderland, and previously played for Wigan and Tranmere Rovers.