Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has revealed that his goalkeeper Craig Gordon snubbed a possible loan move in January.

The Scottish international stopper has been sidelined for over a year with a persistent knee problem but is slowly returning to full fitness.

Considering this, O'Neill was happy to allow Gordon to leave Wearside on a temporary basis to gain some valuable match time, but the player turned down the chance and instead opted to stay at the Stadium of Light.

"There was a club interested in taking him out on loan," explained O'Neill.

"I thought about it because it might have been an opportunity for him to play a couple of games to give us a better idea of his fitness, but I was concerned about it as well because Keiren Westwood has been out with a wrist injury and that could have left us in a delicate position.

"I left it up to him and he chose to stay and continue his rehabilitation here, so that's where we have left it."

While Gordon remains at Sunderland for now, the Black Cats boss is unsure where the 29-year-old's long-term future lies.

"It's something I haven't considered yet," O'Neill added. "The main thing is that, by the end of the season, he is fully fit. Everybody knows what he was capable of doing before the injuries."

Gordon's contract with Sunderland expires at the end of this season.