Kieran Richardson is confident of being successful at Sunderland.

Richardson bristles at the suggestion that few players leave Manchester United and succeed - "Van Nistelrooy, Forlan and Beckham haven't done badly," he said - and he is confident that his England prospects will be enhanced under Keane's guidance.

He said: "We all saw the interview and it was completely blown out of proportion. What he said wasn't all bad, so no one was really bothered. It certainly didn't bother me at all. If someone like the captain does say anything, you'd obviously listen to what he has to say.

"He didn't have to sell Sunderland to me. He told me he wanted me to play for him and it would be a good test for me to come here. That was good enough for me.

"He was a great captain at Manchester United, everyone had respect for him and listened to him and he still demands the best from players. As a manager, you watch and if you see a mistake you tell the player about it after training on a one-to-one basis. He's a calm person but when it's needed, he'll tell you.

"I still had two years left on my contract at United but I'm a young man and I want to play regularly. Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't guarantee that. So I thought it was best that I moved on to try to establish myself somewhere else. I've come here to do my own thing. England- wise, playing regularly can only help."