THOMAS Sorensen was last night tipped to bounce back from his World Cup nightmare by the goalkeeper aiming to take his place in the Sunderland team.

The normally reliable Sorensen, a £10m rated shot-stopper, will be still angry with himself for the part he played in Denmark's 3-0 second-round defeat by England in Japan last month.

The Great Dane was at fault for Rio Ferdinand's opener, when he failed to deal with a David Beckham corner, and the Scandinavians were never able to recover.

But Sunderland's new goalkeeper Thomas Myhre insists that Sorensen will be able to put that mistake to the back of his mind and make an emphatic return to form when the Premiership restarts in August.

"It's the same as any goalkeeper, whether that be David Seaman or Oliver Kahn, you can make mistakes," said Myhre, who completed a free move to the Stadium of Light this week from Turkish side Besiktas. "I think in the three games Tommy played before his mistake against England he was great.

"As a goalkeeper you are always going to make the odd mistake but Thomas played really well and I think before that he showed why he has made such a big name for himself.

"He has played for Denmark all of the time, so I think he can put his mistake to the back of his mind and get on with his game for Sunderland."

Despite Myhre's high regard for his new teammate, the Norwegian is not willing to play second fiddle to Sorensen in the first team.

Myhre, who has previously spent four years with Everton, has already made his country's shirt his own, and now he is hoping for more of the same at club level.

"It's a bit difficult to see yourself as an understudy when you are 28 and you have been playing for quite a few years," said Myhre, who will be part of the Sunderland squad which travels to France today to a training base in Le Touquet.

"But obviously I have the greatest of respect for Tommy and he is a great goalkeeper.

"I'm looking forward to training with him and hopefully we can push each other to a greater level."

Sunderland are Myhre's eighth club and he is convinced that the switch to Wearside will not cost him his international place.

Many believe that going to Sunderland, where he is not even guaranteed to play at least ten games next season, will hinder his chances of turning out for Norway again.

The Sarpsborg-born giant still has his sights set on adding to the 13 caps he has to his name - but first he is focusing on Sunderland.

"I maybe have put my international place in doubt," he admitted. "But I don't know. I just want to play as many games for Sunderland as possible.

"Hopefully I will be playing a few games but at the end of the day the international manager wants his players to play first-team football.

"But I have to think of what's best for me. As a professional footballer hopefully I will get my chance both at Sunderland and for Norway."

* Parma front-man Patrick Mboma has rejected a move to Reggina.

The Cameroon striker, who was on loan at Sunderland for a part of last season, has been told he is no longer needed at Parma.

* Espanyol striker Raul Tamudo is a target for Sunderland but a deal is only likely to be completed if Robbie Keane continues to reject a move away from Elland Road.

The Northern Echo can reveal that Black Cats boss Peter Reid is keen on Tamudo, who would cost around £7m, but Keane remains top of the Stadium of Light club's wanted list.

Tamudo's agent, Tomas Duran, revealed yesterday that his player expects to sign for the Premiership side.

Duran said: "It has all been agreed.

"I'm simply waiting for a phone call to confirm the details. He is a very happy man."

However, Reid remains determined to capture Leeds forward Keane, and negotiations with the Irishman's agent have been on-going for most of the week.

And if Keane finally puts pen to paper on a £8m move to Wearside then 25-year-old Tamudo's hopes of coming to England may be dashed.

Reid has hinted that he is on the look out for two strikers, but a potential outlay of around £15m on two men is likely to put the Sunderland chief off.

Derby's Malcolm Christie, Rangers' Neil McCann and Wimbledon's Kenny Cunnigham are also all still being strongly linked with Sunderland.

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