Martin O'Neill denies Craig Gardner exit talk

Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has moved to cool speculation that Craig Gardner is feeling homesick and wants to leave the club.

Gardner joined the Black Cats during the summer from Birmingham City for a fee of £5m.

However, the 25-year-old has reportedly failed to settle on Wearside and Wolverhampton Wanderers are believed to be interested in taking him back to the Midlands.

Despite the rumours, O'Neill has insisted that Gardner is keen to make his move a "successful" one.

"I know Craig from our days together at Aston Villa. He really is a great character," O'Neill told Sky Sports News. "He's been a family man for a long, long time. His family are down in the Midlands.

"I think he wants to do his best to settle here and prove the move successful."

Gardner spent five years with Villa before joining Birmingham in 2010.