514 days and counting: Rodwell turns down deadline day deal to leave Wearside
Sunderland flop Jack Rodwell has exactly 514 days to remain on Wearside after it has today been revealed he turned down the chance of leaving the Championship strugglers.
The former Man City and Everton midfielder joined Sunderland back in August 2014 but has only featured for the Black Cats three times this season, costing the club £70,000 a week for sitting in the stands.
Rodwell who has featured for England in the past, doesn’t have a future on Wearside and last week Sunderland offered to tear his contract up and show him the door – but a week on and he still remains in the city.
The 26-year old, last week spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail, where he said he would only walk away from his lucrative contract if a move to a new club was lined up, but insisted he wanted the move for football reasons, not money reasons.
Rodwell was also lined up for a trial at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem last week, but even that fell through due to organisational reasons.
Sunderland boss Chris Coleman, has continued to reiterate that if a player isn’t up for the fight of staying in the Championship then the door is there for them to leave, Rodwell being one of the players, the former Wales boss will have been talking about.
Speaking to SAFC.com Coleman said: “"I've not yet had a knock on the door to say 'I am ready, I want to play football'.
“Jack had the chance to go out this window. " We said yeah.
“There was another club. I can't name the club. Jack turned that opportunity down.
"My office is right at the end of the hall, he knows where it is.
"I am not here to motivate this person or that person.
“Whatever you say you are going to do then back it up.
“We need all hands to the pump.
"My door hasn't been knocked, not that I know of."
Rodwell will now be hoping a deal comes off in the summer, when the transfer window reopens, or will he be happy to continue to soak up his £1.4m in wages. Only time will tell. Although Sunderland fans surely won’t be welcoming him on the field anytime soon.
Credit to Empics Sport and The Sun for the imagery used above in this article.