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David Healy, the Fulham striker, yesterday completed a move to Wearside as Sunderland continued their expansive approach to this summer’s transfer market.

Healy, 29, put his name to a three-year deal to become Roy Keane’s eighth signing of the summer, following Djibril Cissé — who, also yesterday, confirmed a season-long loan deal from Marseilles — Teemu Tainio, Pascal Chimbonda, El-Hadji Diouf, Steed Malbranque, Nick Colgan and David Meyler to the Stadium of Light.

While he is thrilled with his new signings, Keane, the Sunderland manager — with books to balance and spending to offset — has also expressed his frustration at the willingness of certain players to sit on their contracts rather than seek regular football elsewhere. “Players are different animals now and some have had opportunities to go to clubs, particularly on loan, and they have been reluctant to do it,” he said. “If you love football, you want to play. It doesn’t annoy me, but it’s a sad reflection on the people themselves.

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“We can’t keep bringing in players on top of the ones we have. But some professionals have no intention of moving anywhere and you can guarantee they will sit there and see out their contracts. They don’t love the game.”

For his part, Healy’s transfer brings to a close an unsatisfactory spell at Craven Cottage. Explosive for Northern Ireland, the striker has yet to impose himself so dramatically at club level. “Sunderland are a huge club and their fans are among the most passionate in the country,” he said. “They live for the game in the North East and there is no doubt that Sunderland are a club on the up.”

Keane has also been linked with Carlton Cole, of West Ham United, and two bids for Benni McCarthy have been rejected by Blackburn Rovers. “If I can’t get in the [Blackburn] team then I would want the move to Sunderland,” the South Africa striker said.