Between them Nick Colgan and David Meyler have played 285 senior games, though midfielder Meyler is by far the junior.

He wins a shot at the big time after making only three appearances for Cork City!

He comes for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract and is determined not just to make up the numbers.

The 19-year-old said: "I'm here to succeed, I'm not here to fail.

"My ambition is to break into the first team as soon as I can. I want to do it here, and hopefully I can."

Meyler had a trial with Sunderland earlier this year and is thrilled to be taken under the wing of Cork-born Roy Keane.

"Keane is a legend where I come from," said Meyler. "Everyone grew up watching him play and that included me.

"He's given me a great opportunity here with Sunderland and obviously I'll hopefully repay him.

"I already know some of the lads here, the lads from Cork. Obviously I know Roy (O'Donovan) from our time with Cork, but I also know Liam (Miller) and young Conor Hourihane from the youth team, so I shouldn't have any problems settling in."

The 6ft 2in schemer will not be 20 until May.

Keeper Colgan is 34 and joins on a one-year deal after being released by Ipswich Town this summer.

Capped nine times by the Republic of Ireland, in all Colgan has been at 12 clubs in England and Scotland since leaving hometown club Drogheda to join Chelsea in 1992.

He said: "I've been training with Bradford and Scunthorpe, working to keep my fitness up and when I saw I had a message on my phone from Roy, everything went through my head.

"Really, I suppose I thought he wanted my opinion on another goalkeeper.

"It was great when he asked me to come up and sign for the club.

"He made no promises about playing or being on the bench or what would happen at the end of the season but I'm going to commit myself fully to it as I have to everything during my career.

"It's the best set-up I've ever been at, even Chelsea pre-Abramovich wouldn't have come close to matching it and I'm really looking forward to making the most of the opportunity.

"It's really nice to think that somewhere along the line, on international duty I presume, there must have been something about me that made a positive impression. I'll certainly be doing everything in my powers to repay his show of faith."

Colgan's arrival leaves Sunderland with five senior goalkeepers – the others being Craig Gordon, Marton Fulop, Darren Ward and Trevor Carson.

Fulop has expressed his desire to explore fresh fields for the chance of regular first-team football with Stoke still being linked with a big-money move for the Hungary international.

Northern Ireland international Carson is at the stage of his career when he would benefit from first-team experience and a loan move may be possible.