More than 16 years after his move from Reading to Sunderland, Greg Halford, a seasoned player with 19 different clubs in his career, shared candid insights on his transfer during an episode of the Undr The Cosh podcast. Although widely recognized as a dependable Championship player, Halford’s stint at Sunderland did not unfold as anticipated.
The journeyman player began his career as a promising talent at Colchester United, even earning a cap for the England under-20’s squad. However, one of the notable clubs in his career was Sunderland, which he joined in 2007. Halford revealed that Sunderland had expressed interest in signing him even before the January transfer window in 2006. Niall Quinn, then chairman of the Black Cats, inquired about Halford’s plans during a match against Colchester at the Stadium of Light, which Sunderland won 3-1.
Despite Sunderland’s relegation zone status at the time, the club had recently appointed Roy Keane as manager and eventually secured promotion to the Premier League that season. However, Halford opted to join Reading in the Premier League for a club record fee of £2.5 million. After playing only three times under Steve Coppell in the first half of the season, Halford moved to Sunderland in the summer for £3.5 million.
During the podcast, Halford recounted the behind-the-scenes details of the transfer. He mentioned that, initially, he did not want to move, expressing his commitment to Reading. However, after learning that he would be the third-choice right-back, he decided to move to Sunderland.
Halford’s time at Sunderland saw sporadic appearances and two red cards in the first half of the 2007-08 season. By the end of the January transfer window, he was loaned to Charlton Athletic, followed by a loan spell at Sheffield United for the entire 2008-09 campaign. Despite not playing another game for Sunderland, Halford secured a Premier League move to Wolves in 2009.
In reflecting on his career, Halford acknowledged that his time in the North East was not particularly fondly remembered, and his admission of not initially wanting the transfer may not sit well with Sunderland fans.
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