The Chronicle

Vaughan’s Wearside nightmare is ended

UNHAPPY STRIKER LEAVES SUNDERLAND TO SIGN DEAL WITH LEAGUE ONE WIGAN

- By STUART RAYNER Sports writer stuart.rayner@trinitymir­ror.com @StuRayner

JAMES Vaughan’s unhappy time at Sunderland has come to an end after he moved to League One Wigan Athletic.

Vaughan’s miserable spell at the Stadium of Light was a reminder that even in times of austerity the Black Cats are still capable of expensive mistakes.

The 29-year-old centre-forward scored two goals in his half-season at the club.

For £500,000 that might not seem such a terrible return but it represente­d 40 per cent of Simon Grayson’s meagre summer transfer budget.

The Black Cats were hoping for better from a player who has been the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history since he scored for Everton against Crystal Palace as a 16-year-old.

Vaughan joined on the back of a 24-goal season with League One Bury, the best seasonal return of a career which has never fulfilled its potential thanks to injury. The move allows him to move back to the north west and will allow new signings to come in - though they will only be loans.

Just a week earlier Coleman had said he was in no position to sell Vaughan, with top-scorer Lewis Grabban having since been recalled from his season-long loan from Bournemout­h.

It left 19-year-old Josh Maja and 18-year-old Joel Asoro as the only specialist strikers in the first team for today’s Championsh­ip trip to Cardiff City.

Sunderland are hopeful of agreeing loans for two strikers but neither is likely to be in place until next week.

Vaughan endured a difficult start to his Sunderland career.

He kicked off pre-season by playing against them for Bury and the day after moving to Wearside he missed a penalty on his debut, against St Johnstone in a pre-season friendly the visitors lost 3-0.

He also missed a spot kick on his home debut, a 5-0 friendly defeat to Celtic.

Vaughan’s first goal for the club came at Hull City in his tenth competitiv­e appearance but, rather than setting him off on a streak, he only found the net once more - in November’s 2-0 win at Burton Albion.

His reaction to that, running over to the away fans, showed he was not happy with the way Sunderland supporters had treated him - but given his lack of goals it was hardly a surprise.

In 23 appearance­s for the Black Cats’ Vaughan’s efforts could not be faulted - but they only highlighte­d the targetman’s limitation­s.

Grayson’s other £500,000 signing, goalkeeper Jason Steele, has also failed to convince.

The Yorkshirem­an only spent £1.25m in transfer fees on ten players in the summer and successor Chris Coleman faces similar constraint­s after years of financial mismanagem­ent at the Stadium of Light.

Vaughan has joined on an 18-month contract. The fee Wigan will pay has not been disclosed.

He replaces Ivan Toney, who was sent back to Newcastle United after playing the first half of the season on loan.

Vaughan said: “I am delighted. It is a great club high in the league and I am hoping I can help out in the promotion push.

“I want to help the team and, first and foremost as a striker, that means goals - but I will work as hard as I can and hopefully that contribute­s to gaining three points.

“The manager has been really positive - he has told me to do what I have been doing, work hard and everything else will take care of itself.

“I want to try as hard as I can, put myself about and try and get on the end of things and get a few goals.”

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