Sunderland's Wes Brown: 'I'm pleased to be back playing'

Sunderland defender Wes Brown has expressed his delight at returning to the pitch following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The 33-year-old marked his return with a goal during the Black Cats' 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Asia Trophy yesterday.

"It's good to be back, it's been a long time," Brown told the Sunderland Echo. "It was good to get a few more minutes under my belt on Wednesday and carry on the pre-season as I have been doing.

"It's always a bonus to get a goal, but first and foremost, it's just good to be back in training, doing everything back with the lads."

Brown moved to the Stadium of Light from Manchester United in 2011.