SWANSEA midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng has revealed he rejected a potential move to Sunderland because he regards the Black Cats as inferior to his current employers in terms of both personnel and playing style.

Ki, who scored Swansea’s equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium, spent last season on a season-long loan at the Stadium of Light, scoring four goals in 34 senior appearances.

Fifteen months ago, Sunderland’s recruitment team made a number of attempts to turn his temporary transfer into a permanent one, and there were further discussions about Ki’s future at the start of the summer break.

The South Korean was offered an opportunity to return to Wearside, but Garry Monk assured him he would be given a second chance with Swansea and he quickly decided to reject the opportunity of a move to the North-East.

“I had to choose Swansea or Sunderland, but I think Swansea are a better team,” said Ki, who is chiefly remembered on Wearside for the extra-time goal that helped secure a quarter-final win over Chelsea in the run to the Capital One Cup final. “Swansea play better football.

“Swansea have better players and, to be fair, that is why we are higher up the table. That is still the same this season, even though (Wilfried) Bony is gone and we have some new players.

“Maybe they just need a bit of time to settle, but I am really happy to be in the squad and to be playing for Swansea. This is a great time to play with these guys next to me.”

Ki was not the only player playing against his former side, as Danny Graham was surprisingly selected for his first Sunderland start since May 2013.

The Chester-le-Street striker had looked certain to be leaving the club when he was omitted from the squad for the pre-season tour of Portugal, but having returned refreshed following a loan spell at Wolves, he was rewarded for four bright recent appearances from the substitutes’ bench.

“I’m delighted,” said Graham, who is still to open his goalscoring account for the Black Cats. “The last month or so since I came back from Wolves, I’ve been training really hard and putting in the work in the gym and on the training pitch.

“The gaffer has rewarded me with a game, which is really pleasing. I need to continue that hard work from now until the end of the season and hopefully get some more appearances and help us push on up that league.

“The Sunderland fans were great to me, and that meant a lot. It would have been easy for them to go against me because of the way the start of my Sunderland career went, so for them to give me a standing ovation when I went off was the most pleasing thing.”