FORGOTTEN man Sean Thornton aims to put a year to forget behind him and prove his worth to manager Mick McCarthy.

Thornton made his first appearance for three months on New Year's Day at Preston, with a second half virtuoso performance that almost helped turn around a three goal deficit.

The Irish youngster scored and was at the hub of all the Wearsiders best play in the second half at Deepdale.

Thornton had been frozen out of the Black Cats first team plans after an apparent transfer request - a subject the 22-year-old is keen to put behind him.

"I was really eager to get back and I've just been working really hard," said the 21-year-old, whose last appearance for the Wearsiders was in the Carling Cup at Crewe.

"When you know you're nowhere near the first team it helps concentrate your mind.

"It gives you that drive to prove to the gaffer that you should be in that team.

"It would have been easy to walk away - to go out on loan - and people don't realise these things. But I really want to stay. I love playing at Sunderland. I love playing at the Stadium of Light.

"People were trying to get me away but I really didn't want to."

Despite Saturday being a game McCarthy will be eager to forget, he did take plus points from Thornton and fellow substitute Andy Welsh.

Welsh, signed from Stockport in November, made his first-team debut and it was his run and shot that led to Sunderland's first goal for Stephen Elliott.

"He (Thornton) made a difference when I changed the shape of the team - when I put three strikers on," said the Sunderland boss.

"There weren't too many bright spots but I think Sean Thornton was one and I think Andy Welsh was another."

It seemed somehow ironic that McCarthy brought Thornton back into the first team picture against Preston - a team he scored against twice last season.

While he has been out the former Tranmere player has knuckled down and worked on his fitness with the result being a new leaner looking player returning to the Sunderland team.

"It was great to just get back out there playing," said Thornton, whose last league appearance for the Black Cats was in the 1-0 defeat at Reading on August 31. "I've been working really hard in training and hoping I'd get my chance.

"I couldn't see it coming for a couple of months with the team playing really well and a lot of things going on at the club.

"I believed in my own ability and one day I'd get my chance again and it just felt great to get out there playing again.

"I was saying to myself I scored against Preston twice last season - home and away - and hopefully this could be the turning point for me."

With Matt Piper ineffective on Saturday, Thornton is likely to be handed a starting spot on the right of midfield against Gillingham this afternoon.

Read more about Sunderland here.