JACK ROSS will take his Sunderland players to Portugal this week reflecting on a successful weekend that has seen Aiden McGeady sign a contract extension committing him to the Stadium of Light and defender Jordan Willis join as a free agent after leaving Coventry City.

McGeady’s new deal was confirmed yesterday, the Republic of Ireland international signing a one-year extension that extends his previous deal to the end of the 2020-21 season.

The agreement effectively rules out any chance of the 33-year-old leaving the Stadium of Light this summer, with the Sunderland hierarchy having been aware of mounting interest from the MLS.

Ross was adamant he did not want to lose McGeady, with the winger having been the stand-out player in League One for the majority of last season.

The Irishman finished last term with 14 goals in all competitions, and while Lee Cattermole’s recent departure means he is the club’s second-highest paid player behind Bryan Oviedo, his value to the team means his wages are still regarded as money well spent.

While McGeady would prefer to be playing at a higher level, his attitude last season was exemplary, and having enjoyed his time on Wearside, he maintains that moving on this summer was never really in his thoughts.

“From the end of last season, I spoke to the manager a bit because I only really saw my future here,” said McGeady, part of the squad that flies to Portugal at the start of this week ahead of a training camp that will feature matches against Benfica B and Belenenses.

“I spoke to the manager before I even knew where we were going to be, the Championship or League One again. I’m happy here, I’m settled here and when you get to my age, I was looking at it from different points of view.

“There were other teams that were interested, but I didn’t really want to entertain that. I was quite keen to get something sorted, and equally the club were quite keen as well. I’m very happy to stay here, and I want to do everything I can to help the club get back to where it belongs.”

McGeady will once again provide Sunderland’s main attacking threat from the left side, and having lined up against the winger as he was coming towards the end of his own playing career in Scotland, Ross is in no doubt as to his continued importance, both on and off the field.

“Aiden was an important player for us last season, and he has a real desire to bring success to the football club,” said the Black Cats boss. “His quality on the pitch speaks for itself, but he also brings a wealth of experience to the dressing room. He enjoys playing for Sunderland, and I’m delighted that he has committed his future to the club.”

As well as tying up McGeady’s future, Sunderland were also able to confirm Willis’ arrival this weekend, with the centre-half having signed a two-year deal after turning down the offer of a new contract at Coventry.

The 24-year-old made more than 200 senior appearances after progressing from the Sky Blues’ youth set-up, and is the Black Cats’ third summer signing after the arrival of Conor McLaughlin and Lee Burge.

“I’m buzzing to be signing for a club of this stature,” said the defender. “When a club like Sunderland comes in for you, you just want to be part of the journey of getting them back to where they deserve to be. You dream of playing in front of big crowds as a kid, so I can’t wait to get started and get out on the pitch.”

The heart of Sunderland’s defence was widely regarded as a weakness last season, so Willis is likely to be installed at the head of a pecking order that also features Alim Ozturk, Tom Flanagan, Jack Baldwin and Glenn Loovens.

“Jordan is someone we identified a while ago, but we had to be patient because of the options he had due to his ability and age,” said Ross. “He is going to get better, so I’m delighted that he has agreed to come here and I’m excited about what he will bring to the club, as he has attributes we wanted to add to the squad.”