FORMER Newcastle United winger Charles N’Zogbia is training with Sunderland as he attempts to secure a move back to the Premier League.

The 30-year-old was a surprise presence at the Academy of Light when Sam Allardyce’s squad returned to pre-season training.

Sunderland also confirmed that goalkeeper Vito Mannone has penned a new two-year contract.

Frenchman N'Zogbia is a free agent after not having his £60,000-a-week contract renewed by Aston Villa following relegation to the Championship.

And his links to Allardyce – through his representatives – has led to N’Zogbia ending up on Wearside.

There is no deal in place and nor is he on trial, his appearance at the training ground is purely to enjoy a pre-season programme.

But Allardyce was an admirer of his ability before things turned sour at Aston Villa, so he will keep an eye on the player while he is with the group.

N’Zogbia has not started a game for Villa since the FA Cup final in 2015 but refused to leave Villa Park in January when they attempted to move him on.

He played under Allardyce during his time in charge at Newcastle and he has been linked with a move to the Black Cats on a number of occasions since joining Wigan in 2009.

The Sunderland boss has so far been unable to add to his playing staff despite plenty of attempts. It has been claimed in France that Lyon midfielder Clement Grenier has outlined a wish to stay where he is rather than join either Sunderland or Palermo.

But he has persuaded Italian keeper Mannone to commit until 2018 and he will battle with Jordan Pickford for the first-team shirt next season. Mannone thinks the deal was the ideal way to get back to work.

He said: “I’m really pleased. I just got back and what a way to start the season. It’s a massive boost for me and my family. We love it here - I love the club and the fans, so it’s a great deal for me.

“I’ve fought hard in the past - with many ups and downs - to get to this point. It’s a great achievement for me to sign this contract and hopefully we can look towards a great season.

“It’s been three years at the club for me. I know everyone at the club and I really enjoy playing my football here, and that’s what I want to continue doing for the next few years and maybe even beyond that.”

But the 28-year-old – part of the squad which travels to Austria on Thursday – does not want a repeat of the relegation troubles he has encountered in each of his seasons at Sunderland.

He told the club’s website: “It was massive (staying up). We keep repeating ourselves each year but I think now is the time to really kick on. We have a great base, the squad is strong and hopefully there’s going to be a few players coming in as well to help.

“We just want to get going, get ready, get the pre-season hard work done and then look to the start of the Premier League.”