Sunderland will hope Shaun Goater doesn't return to haunt them when the Bermudian lines up against the Black Cats this evening.

For the striker was targeted by the North East giants during the summer but manager Mick McCarthy, having been taken on after the Wearsiders dropped out of the Premiership, was unable to come up with the cash.

As a result Reading moved into pole position and signed the 33-year-old on a three year deal from Manchester City.

Now the two teams go head to head in a key First Division clash which is being televised live on satellite television in Britain.

Sunderland are currently ninth in the league, while Reading, having suffered a disappointing 2-1 reverse at the hands of Coventry last weekend, are seventh.

"I was very interested in Shaun Goater over the summer, as were a lot of clubs," revealed McCarthy yesterday. "He's a proven goalscorer and, from what I've heard, a smashing guy with a great temperament. I would have loved to have brought him here.

"But I think he and everyone knew the situation we were in at the time, we had no money to spend and we couldn't ask him to hold on when he was busy looking for a club and a contract.

"I wish him all the best but hopefully he'll be out of luck against us tomorrow (today)."

Goater, who is expected to have recovered from a stomach upset for today's game, told the Royal Gazette when he was sorting out his move from Maine Road in the summer he had been in touch with the McCarthy.

"They actually just called me and said would I keep them abreast of how things were progressing with myself," he said. "But it was a case of they needed to sell players. I spoke to him (McCarthy) towards the end of the season and he said 'Well, my hands are tied because I need to offload (players)'. They wanted me but in the end I was happy to go to Reading."

McCarthy is expecting a tough game at the Stadium of Light, despite the departure of the man who steered the Royals close to the summit of the division in the early part of the season.

"I don't subscribe to this idea that Reading will be in turmoil after losing Alan Pardew," said McCarthy.

"That sort of thing is vastly over-rated in my experience - it lasts for a week at most usually.

"I've been in football a long time both as a player and a manager and footballers are much more of a resilient lot than they're often given credit for. They just get on with it.

"Players and managers coming and going is part and parcel of football and people in the game soon get used to it.

"It might have affected the players in the first week that it happened but they will have picked themselves up by now.

"And, bearing that in mind, I see them as one of the better teams in the First Division this season who are rightly being spoken of as possible promotion candidates."