O'Shea not thinking of retirement

Sunderland defender John O'Shea says he has no plans to retire at the end of the season.

O'Shea is in the final year of his contract at the Stadium of Light, but the 35-year-old says he feels fit enough to play on for at least another season.

The Ireland defender returns to Old Trafford on St Stephen's Day to face Manchester United, the club where he won five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 12 seasons between 1999 and 2011.

"I hope it won't be my last trip there," he said.

"It's always a special day for me going back and they have hit a bit of form recently, but United do give you a chance to express yourself.

"I'm fit and well and want to play on. Thankfully, throughout my career, I've rarely had a long spell out or had a major operation so I'm looking to play for as long as possible.

"I was fairly confident when I left United that I would still be playing now because of the way I looked after myself and did the right things throughout my career."

O'Shea, who has featured in 11 of Sunderland’s 20 games this season, admits he found it tough to leave United despite playing a bit-part role under Sir Alex Ferguson in his final two seasons at Old Trafford.

Asked if he wished he had stayed at United, he replied: "Yes - I have thought that a few times,

"I had a year left on my contract and we always said over the years that I could leave if the manager thought I wasn’t going to get enough football to keep me happy.

"It’s all ifs and buts but at the time I thought I was going to guarantee myself a lot more football if I went away from United. But it wasn’t an easy decision, that’s for sure."

Photo (Getty Images/ Clive Rose)

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