Sunderland defender Wes Brown has revealed that he was always confident he would be able to return to the game despite his injury setbacks.

The 33-year-old returned to action for the Black Cats in the Barclays Asia Trophy after missing the entirety of their last Premier League season.

Brown told reporters: "A few people have asked me if I was worried if I would be able come back this time. It sounds weird but, no, I never thought that.

"I always had confidence in myself. It just took a lot longer than I first expected. I have had injuries throughout my career so I never doubted I could come back again."

Brown was part of the Sunderland side that lost in the final of the Asia Trophy against Manchester City.