Sunderland have announced the signing of goalkeeper Alex Bass from Portsmouth on a three-year deal, with the option of a fourth year.
Bass spent last year on loan to Bradford in League Two, where he made 21 appearances and grabbed six clean sheets.
The 24-year-old also made two League One appearances for Pompey, where he didn't concede a single goal. With over 100 senior appearances to his name, he is expected to challenge Anthony Patterson between the sticks and provide both cover and competition for the number one jersey.
Bass said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here and as soon as I heard about the opportunity to come to Sunderland, I was desperate to take it. This is a massive Club and the move represents a great chance for me to test myself in the Championship, which is filled with talented players. Sunderland had a great run last season and to earn promotion through the Play-Offs is always tough, so it shows there is a great bunch of lads here. I went out on loan earlier this year and it was important to get out there and play games, but now I want to push on and I’m excited to play my part at the Stadium of Light.”
Alex Neil added: “We know that we needed to add competition in the goalkeeping department and Alex fits our model in terms of signing another young and up-and-coming player. He’s big lad and he’s got quality - and he’s brave – so now his job is to push Anthony Patterson and force his way into the team. He’s played games, but he’s of an age profile whereby his best years are ahead of him, so we believe that he’s a good fit for us. Hopefully he can add to his current experience and continue to develop into a really good goalkeeper.”
