JEFF WHITLEY showed glimpses of just why Mick McCarthy is so keen to see the tough-tackler put pen to paper on a permanent basis at Sunderland with an impressive display at York City last night.

But despite a superb second-half goal from the midfielder - his first for the club - in a 5-0 win at Bootham Crescent, McCarthy admits he is still having to remain patient for Whitley to officially become a Sunderland player.

McCarthy knows he has to offload a number of his prize assets - including Kevin Phillips, Gavin McCann and Thomas Sorensen, who were all missing at York - before drafting in new blood ahead of their first season back in the First Division.

He said: "Jeff has not signed but he will do. He understands the situation and wants to play his football at Sunderland.

"And that feeling is mutual, we want him to play for this club.

"There's no news on players going out. They have all trained today and they are all in contention for Saturday's trip to Grimsby."

As well as Whitley, Republic of Ireland starlets Thomas Butler and Sean Thornton provided the Sunderland boss with plenty of encouragement last night.

Despite only being a pre-season kick-around, the pair showed touches of class to put a dent in the Third Division outfit and suggested they could be more than capable of becoming a threat in the lower league next season.

Winger Butler, handed his international debut under McCarthy, was a menace throughout the opening half, creating the Black Cats' opening two goals.

Midfielder Thornton, an Under-21 international and Sunderland's Player of the Year in their disastrous 2002-03 Premiership campaign, scored a breathtaking long-range volley and went close with a string of others to reveal his instinctive eye for goal from distance.

There was a place on the bench for Tore Andre Flo, who continues to be linked with a move to serie A new-boys Seina, and the Norwegian came off the bench after the interval.

Sunderland got off to the perfect start when they scored two goals inside the first eight minutes.

The opener came after just 21 seconds from John Oster, then Thornton struck a dipping right-foot volley into the top corner from 25 yards.

Kevin Kyle, former Manchester City midfieder Whitley and young Middlesborough full-back Craig James scored after the interval.

YORK: Croudson, Cooper, Evans, Wise, Jordan, Fox, Brass, Bullock, Wilford, George, Dunning. Subs: Brackstone, Stockdale, Law, Nogan, Smith, Wood, McCabe, McKenzie, Green, Davies, Arthur.

SUNDERLAND: Ingham, Wright, Gray, Thornton, Craddock, Clark, Oster, Whitley, Kyle, Stewart, Butler. Subs: Proctor, Poom, Scott, James, Dickman, Collins, Flo.

* New boy Harry Kewell made his debut in Liverpool's 3-1 friendly win in Cologne last night, when Michael Owen (2) and Emile Heskey scored in the first period.

Liverpool will play at Crewe on Saturday before embarking on a two-match tour of the Far East

Result: York City 0 - 5 Sunderland

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