Kevin Kilbane has secured a move back to the Premiership by joining Everton in a £1m deal.
The Sunderland winger has agreed a two-year contract in a beat-the-deadline switch to Goodison Park.
Kilbane completed personal terms and passed a medical this afternoon before jetting off to join the Republic of Ireland squad for their key Euro 2004 game against Russia on Saturday.
The 26-year-old’s Stadium of Light deal was due to expire next summer and the former West Brom man had failed to agree a fresh terms.
Kilbane’s departure will be a blow to boss Mick McCarthy, as the winger has played in every one of Sunderland’s First Division games this season.
Everton manager David Moyes worked with Kilbane at Preston and moved to sign the winger after letting Mark Pembridge, another left-sided midfielder, go to Fulham earlier today.
Kilbane signed on at the Stadium of Light in December 1999 in a £2.2m deal from West Brom. He has played more than 100 games for the Black Cats. The Everton deal was tied up with just before the transfer window shut at 5.00pm today.
Kilbane became the second Sunderland player to leave Wearside today, joining Michael Gray who signed for Celtic on loan this morning
