Hours after completing a loan move to Leicester City, frustrated winger Andy Welsh declared he believes he possesses the ability that should have been rewarded with a longer run in Sunderland's Premiership team this season.

Welsh completed a temporary switch to the Walkers Stadium on Wednesday night and is hopeful of playing a large part in the Foxes' final few months of the Championship season.

But the left-winger has suggested that manager Mick McCarthy was wrong to drop him to the reserves, where he has been since the end of November, pointing to the bright start he had to life at the top level.

In the opening few months of the campaign, when Sunderland turned in respectable displays without claiming many points, Welsh was one of the Black Cats' star performers.

From his 15 appearances this season he was called up to the Scotland squad, something he was hoping to build on.

However, since the defeat to Birmingham on November 26, Welsh's career has taken a turn for the worse and he has been on the bench only three times.

Now, having been told he could leave on loan until the end of the campaign, Welsh is focused on trying to enjoy a positive end to a season that had promised so much in those early weeks.

"I don't want to be playing in the reserves football at the age of 23. I want to be playing first-team football and it gets me down a bit when I'm not playing," said Welsh, a £15,000 signing from Stockport in November, 2004.

"Football is like a drug and you want to be playing regularly in the first team, week in, week out in front of 25,000 supporters. I have been told by Sunderland that I'm still wanted but Leicester is a big club and I'm grateful to manager Rob Kelly for giving me this chance.

"I could have easily stayed at Sunderland and sat on the bench and played in the reserves. But I would have been mad to have passed up this opportunity.

"I feel I have held my own in the Premiership and I'm confident I can do a good job here."

Matt Piper, the former Sunderland player who arrived at the Stadium of Light in a £3.5m transfer from Leicester, is currently unemployed as he looks to return to fitness before making a comeback.

But Piper has been in contact with Welsh to wish him well during his time with his old employers.

"I spoke to Matt and he had a lot of good words to say about Leicester. Onceve settled in here, we are going to meet up," said Welsh.

"He just wants to have a bit of a rest in terms of football at the moment because he has had a hard time over the last couple of years. It will be good to see him again."

Welsh's departure has arrived at a time when Sunderland have learnt that full-back Stephen Wright will not play again this season.

The former Liverpool right-back had an operation on his troubled ankle on Monday and has been told to rest for 12 weeks before contemplating exercise.

He has only played 103 minutes this season and his unavailability means Nyron Nosworthy is likely to be given the role until the end of the campaign.

Nosworthy, ahead of loan man Justin Hoyte in the battle for that position, is expecting Sunderland's plight not to become any easier when they travel to Manchester City on Sunday - even with George McCartney back from hamstring trouble.

"Man City is another tough game," said Nosworthy. "City have done well this season under Stuart Pearce but we still have to be in a positive frame of mind to get a result.

"I'm looking forward to the game and it's important we come away without losing.

"They have done well this season and they have a good side. But we have nothing to fear."

Young midfielder Martin Woods' hopes of playing on Sunday have been hit by an injury picked up on international duty. Woods, a free signing from Leeds last summer, limped out of his Scotland Under-21 debut on Tuesday night with an ankle problem and has been receiving treatment on Wearside.

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