New Yorke is a lift for Sunderland

He could have seen out his playing days in party mode Down Under, but when Roy Keane came calling Dwight Yorke knew he had to return home to England.

The former Manchester United striker was one of the first players Keane turned to after becoming Sunderland manager. Yorke saw it as a huge compliment to be approached by his former skipper at Old Trafford — it was a call he simply could not ignore.

The 1999 Champions League winner, now aged 34, also revealed how the death of his sister, Verline, changed his perspective on life and football.

After impressive performances for Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup — he was FIFA's man of the match against England — Yorke is ready to see out his career on Wearside helping Sunderland back into the Premiership.

"Making the decision to join Sunderland was a little bit difficult in terms of lifestyle and the weather," Yorke admitted after his arrival this week. "But in terms of football, there's not really a comparison. Once I got a call from Keano that sealed the deal.

"I never had many calls from him while playing so I took it as a massive compliment. It's flattering to be 34 and have someone of Keano's stature come back for me.

"I'd like to think he judged me as a footballer. I'm not really his drinking buddy as we used to be as team-mates, but he knows exactly what I'm capable of.

"What you guys don't know is what happens behind closed doors and the work ethic I have. He must have seen that for four years at United.

"Hopefully, I can do the business for him."

Yorke has admitted he was treading water at Blackburn and Birmingham following his exit from United.

Although captaining Trinidad's Soca Warriors transformed him, and his Sydney FC team won last season's Australia league title, Yorke admitted his sister's death had the biggest impact.

He said: "I lost my sister nearly two-and-a-half years ago from a cancer-related illness. I then went into the wilderness a bit. Football wasn't my No 1 priority.

"It's pretty hard when you lose someone very close and you don't know how to deal with it. That was pretty hard and my football took a dive.

"But then I thought that my sister would want me to do what I'm good at, which is to play the game with a smile on my face and do the things that come naturally. Going to Sydney got the energy and vibes back. And Trinidad & Tobago qualifying for the World Cup brought back the feel-good factor."

Yorke is likely to start against Leicester today after strikers David Connolly and Stephen Elliott were injured in the 3-0 midweek win at Leeds.

Connolly (thigh) will be out for a fortnight while Elliott (ankle) may be sidelined for up to two months.