Chopra finds favour on Wearside

Michael Chopra believes he has won over the hearts of Sunderland fans everywhere after putting to the back of his mind the fact he is a Newcastle fan.

Black Cats supporters baulked when manager Roy Keane paid Cardiff £5million this summer for the services of the former Magpie, who joined the club's academy as a 10-year-old in 1993 but Chopra had those same fans singing his praises by scoring the winning goal as Sunderland marked their return to the Barclays Premier League with a 1-0 win over Tottenham.

"I knew coming from Newcastle I had to get off to a good start to win a lot of hearts, and to actually score the winner in the last minute is just what dreams are made of," said Chopra. "I had to put to one side being a Newcastle fan and do what was best for my job."