GRANT Leadbitter has spoken of his pride at captaining Sunderland, but the midfielder admits his love of his hometown club might not be enough to compensate for a lack of first-team football.

Leadbitter, who was born and raised in Fencehouses, skippered the Black Cats for the first time in Saturday’s goalless draw with Blackburn.

The childhood Sunderland fan fulfilled a lifelong ambition when he pulled on the captain’s armband, with the emotion of the occasion being heightened by the recent death of his father Brian, a similarly devout supporter who had previously sat alongside his son in the stands at the Stadium of Light.

“It was a massive honour to be made captain of Sunderland,”

said Leadbitter. “I was really pleased when Ricky (Sbragia) told me I was going to be wearing the armband.

Everyone knows how much Sunderland means to me, so it was a proud moment for me and my family.”

Yet that delight is tempered by an acceptance that Saturday’s events are unlikely to be repeated when Fulham arrive on Wearside for tomorrow’s Premier League fixture.

Having started just two league matches all season, Leadbitter is almost certain to be back on the substitutes’ bench tomorrow, and with the transfer window due to close in seven days time, the 22-year-old could have to make some difficult decisions about his future.

Steve Bruce is an avowed admirer of Leadbitter’s tough-tackling approach, and having sold Wilson Palacios to Tottenham for £14m, the Wigan boss is ready to make a formal approach to the Sunderland hierarchy.

That would place Leadbitter in an invidious position, and while he stopped short of voicing his support for a move in the wake of Saturday’s game, the boyhood Black Cat admitted his desire to play regular football might supersede his love of the redand- whites.

“I haven’t been playing as much as I would have liked to, I don’t think there’s any secret about that,” he said. “It’s been a very frustrating period and I’m not going to try to hide that. How frustrating?

Ask my missus. She’ll tell you.

“I just want to play football, wherever that might be.

The most important thing to me is playing football. That’s the thing I love, and that’s my priority.

“Playing football is what’s important to me. What would I do if other clubs came in for me? I just want to play football.

“I’d be happy doing that at Sunderland, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“I haven’t spoken to Ricky about anything. But I want to play football and get back to having a smile on my face.”

Sunderland’s replay at Blackburn will take place on Wednesday, February 4 (ko 8pm), and tickets will go on sale from 10am tomorrow either in person at the Stadium of Light or via the ticket hotline (0871 911 1973).

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults and £5 for Over-65s and Under-16s, but supporters are reminded that the Stadium of Light ticket office will be closed from 3pm on Wednesday to 1pm on Thursday for an upgrade of the system.