Richardson spent five seasons at the Stadium of Light and became a fans’ favourite.

Former Sunderland star Kieran Richardson has opened up at his time at the Stadium of Light after signing from Manchester United, revealing the lasting impression the supporters had on him.

Capped eight times for England, Richardson arrived on Wearside five years after breaking into the Manchester United first team squad, heaving made appearances in the Champions League and lifting the Premier League trophy, the League Cup and Community Shield.

In a recent interview, Richardson exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone he was shocked after first putting pen to paper with the Black Cats.

“I didn’t actually realise how big a deal it was up there; obviously I knew the name Sunderland, but until you get there, you don’t realise how mad and passionate those fans are,” he said

“Football is everything for them, up there.

Handed the number ten shirt by manager Roy Keane, Richardson arrived full of confidence and keen to prove his worth after leaving Old Trafford. But a fractured spine sustained on international duty saw the midfielder face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Determined to impress on his return from injury, Richardson put in the hard work off the field and reaped the rewards on it, with a free kick famously earning Sunderland the bragging rights in the 2008 Tyne-Wear derby.