Rock solid Tom Flanagan looks like a shrewd Shrewsbury signing

The 30-year-old centre-half, who possesses eight caps for his country, brings a wealth of experience and almost 300 career appearances to Montgomery Waters Meadow.

We spoke with long-term Sunderland correspondent at the Evening Chronicle, James Hunter, to see what Flanagan can bring to the table.

What type of player is Flanagan?

Tom’s not particularly physically dominant, he’s quite mobile and agile. He’s relatively quick for a centre-half.

In his time at Sunderland he’s been quite solid. His time has fluctuated a little bit depending on who’s been in charge.

He played regularly under Jack Ross, who brought him to the club in 2018. He didn’t get so many games under Phil Parkinson and last season had some injury problems.

But this season he’s been a regular starter – he’s started 25 of 29 league games – he and Callum Doyle, the teenager from Manchester City, have been the preferred partnership all season under Lee Johnson.

It was a surprise they let him go in January. He’s not universally loved by fans, but that’s the same with most players, but the more considered voices would look at the way he’s played and say he’s had a very decent season up until January.

He’s fine with the ball, OK with it. There aren’t many ball-playing centre-halves in League One, but Tom is solid and dependable, he doesn’t make that many ricks on the ball, he’s a very good player at this level.

Can he play in other positions?

He’s mainly a centre-half but can and has played at right-back.

I believe he played more extensively at right-back at Burton, his previous club. He’s spoken about it and said he played there quite a lot at Burton.

He can play in both a back four and a back three as well.

He’s a regular in the Northern Ireland set-up, which is a sign he’s playing well.

I’m sorry to see him go, he’s one of the good guys, a nice chap, always give 100 per cent. I’m not saying he doesn’t make mistakes, because all players do, and the life of a defender means a mistake often leads to a goal.

But when Tom comes off the pitch you’d never say he didn’t try or give his everything.

Has he enjoyed a good time of it this season?

He definitely has. He’s played ahead of Bailey Wright, who’s a very good player himself and an Australian international with plenty of Championship experience.

It’s probably the signing of Danny Batth from Stoke that’s changed the dynamic. Maybe they wanted someone more physically dominant than Tom.

But I still expected them to keep Tom. I didn’t expect them to let him go, certainly with six months left of his deal. I could’ve maybe understood in the summer, but not now.

How would you describe the response to him leaving on Wearside?

There are some fans that didn’t fancy him from the off and they’re obviously not concerned at all.

But I’d say the overwhelming reaction from supporters is that letting Tom go has left Sunderland short at centre-back.

Had he stayed, people would’ve been pretty content with the centre-back situation. But with Tom leaving, they feel it has left them short.

That’s a sign in itself that his contribution was valued here. People would’ve happily seen him stay to compete for a place for the rest of the season.

It’s a shame really, but you know how things are, if Sunderland sign a fabulous free agent centre-half tomorrow they won’t look back, but right now they’ve left themselves short.

What is Tom like as a character?

Tom’s a nice guy. He’s rock-solid, dependable, good around the dressing room.

One thing that sticks in my mind is Sunderland got beaten 4-0 at Portsmouth earlier in the season, it’s always a case of who are they going to put up for interview after a game like that?

It has to be a strong character, somebody that can sum up the feeling within the dressing room and they put Tom up. He was very honest and unsparing when it came to assessing the shortcomings of himself and the team.

I think fans respect that – they don’t want to hear somebody come out to try to put a gloss on it after a heavy defeat, they want a little of honesty, and they will certainly get that from Tom.