West Ham United Home Nations England Republic of Ireland Wales Northern Ireland Scotland Scottish Premier Keiren Westwood says he was the ideal man to answer Sunderlandâs 999 for a new keeper - because he came close to ending his football career to become a policeman. It may not be PC for him to say it, but the Ireland stopper will be no plod between the sticks next season when he replaces Craig Gordon and Simon Mignolet as No1. Westwood has worked his way up from the Conference beat to the top flight since being kicked out as a trainee with Manchester City six years ago. As a 19-year-old City reject he got the biggest âkick up the backsideâ when he was thrown on the dole and spent the summer having unsuccessful trials around the country. With his dream of being a professional ending, Westwood sat down at his mumâs house and started to fill in the lengthy application form to become a bobby. But Carlisle got him out of jail by courting him in a phone call in the middle of his form filling session. Westwood is now charged with locking up Sunderlandâs back line and explained: âAfter City released me the summer I had was wretched.â Kevin Keegan let him go, and he broke his hand ending a move to Oldham. He then trained at Bradford and Accrington without much luck. He said: âI was passed from pillar to post, had a trial here and there, promises of contracts which were not going to happen and in the end I was going to join the police force. âI was filling out forms for the police at my mumâs house when I got the call to go to Carlisle, so itâs funny how things turn out. âThe application form is a big thick dossier. You have to fill out everything, like whether you have tattoos, and I was just at the bit answering how you would deal with a domestic disturbance, which obviously I know all about, when the call came asking if I could get myself up to Carlisle. âI got up there in the gold Punto very very quickly. I trained that day with the lads and I have never trained so badly. In the shooting session, the shots were hitting the net, and then I was diving. I was nearly in tears at the end of the session. âI just sat on the ground, head in hands, saying: âWhat a day, what a summer.â Dennis Booth was Paul Simpsonâs assistant, a brilliant bloke, and he said `you all right son?â I said `Iâve had a shockerâ and he said `nah, you were all rightâ âI looked up at him and said: âI was absolutely shocking,â and he just started laughing and said: âForget about it, come tomorrow and play in the game, see how you go, donât beat yourself up.â âI played against Barrow the following day, did quite well, and Simmo asked me to sign. It was the best feeling ever. âIf I was a bit quicker and brighter I might have finished the application form and become a policeman. I know how precious it is coming so close to not being in football.â Westwood, signed on a free from Coventry, will be Bruceâs first choice keeper if he proves himself in pre-season games and will have played in all five divisions once he stars on Wearside. He added: âIt would be some achievement. âI am still young, only 26, I have played a lot of football now and getting close to 300 games. I have to play well and earn my place in the team.â Sunderland kick off their preparations at York tonight, but only a couple of their nine new signings will play. Westwood added: âI think this is a good time to be a Sunderland fan and a good time to be a Sunderland player, the people coming through the door are established players with a lot of medals in their cabinets and long may that continue.â âYou donât need to sell a club of this size, you just look round the training ground, the stadium and see the average attendance last season and you know this is a place you want to be.â Sunderland signings so far: Ahmed Elmohamady, previously on loan from Egypt is now a Sunderland player following his £2 million transfer John OâShea, purchased for £4.5 million from Manchester United. Set to be announced as club captain Wes Brown, Another Manchester United defender looks to revive his playing career, moving North East for £1.2 million Connor Wickham, having initially attracted interest from Spurs has moved to Sunderland for £8 million rising to £12 million Craig Gardener, After suffering relegation with Birmingham, the £6 million offer proved too much to refuse Ji Dong-Won, 4 goals in the 2011 Asian Cup inspired Bruce to spend a reported £2 million Sebastian Larsson, Bruce turns to a former Arsenal youth product again as Larsson arrives on a free transfer David Vaughan, Wanting another season in the top flight Vaughan turned down Blackpool to join Sunderland Keiren Westwood, Former Manchester City goalkeeper and Coventry player of the year joins Sunderland on a free http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...er-Kevin-Keegan-let-him-go-article764920.html Not so keen now, a Flattie in our house?
