Eboue boost for Allardyce

FORMER Arsenal full- back Emmanuel Eboue has joined Sunderland for the rest of the season after impressing in a trial .

Former Ivory Coast international Eboue, 32, who was released by Turkish club Galatasaray last summer, has been training with Sam Allardyce’s squad for several weeks.

Allardyce will now hope Eboue, right, can regain the form and match- fi tness he showed during his six and a half seasons in the Premier League with the Gunners. Allardyce said: “It would be wrong of me to turn down a player with such great experience of the Premier League, the Champions League and international football; or not to think that he could play a part for us in our fi ght against relegation.

“He’s a terrifi c guy, a very, very good talker as well as a good player. Hopefully, when the test comes, he is fi t enough to cope.”

Sunderland, a point above the relegation zone, next visit troubled derby rivals Newcastle on March 20. LEROY FER hopes his fi ne start to life at Swansea will help him land a permanent move to the club this summer. The Dutch midfi elder, left, who moved to the Liberty Stadium on loan from QPR in January, had previously been relegated with Norwich and QPR.

He said: “I need to keep concentrating and try to show I am an important player for Swansea.”

LUKE WILLIAMS has become Swindon’s full- time head coach after penning a fi ve- year contract with the League One club.