Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole has revealed that he considered leaving the club several times while Paolo Di Canio was manager at the Stadium of Light.

Cattermole was left out of Di Canio's preferred starting XI while he was manager and the player has said that the way he was treated made him reconsider his position several times.

"I was very close to leaving a couple of times. For whatever reason, it didn't happen," said Cattermole, according to The Independent.

"The way it was going, I would have left happily. I wasn't part of the manager's plans and that can happen in football.

"Yes, it was torturous, but I've always been quite confident and I've got a lot of experience of managers who have backed me. I didn't lose confidence over anything he did or the fact he didn't fancy me. I worked hard with the hope of getting a chance."

Cattermole could start for Sunderland as they face Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, with new manager Gus Poyet looking for his first win in charge of the club.