IAN Harte will make his first Sunderland start in this evening's reserves game at Everton, and the full-back is determined to make up for lost time after he was barred from attending pre-season training with his former club, Levante.

Despite spending three successful seasons with the Valencia-based outfit, Harte was forced to train on his own when his contract was unceremoniously cancelled at the start of the summer.

The former Leeds defender eventually returned to England in search of alternative employment, and was offered a lifeline when Black Cats boss Roy Keane furnished him with a one-year contract.

His rehabilitation will continue in the unfashionable environs of Widnes' Halton Stadium this evening, and the 29-year-old is desperate to prove that he still has plenty to offer despite his recent struggles.

"It was a fantastic experience for me to play in Spain, but it's over and done with now and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to play for a club like Sunderland," said Harte, who was part of the Leeds team that played in 2001's Champions League semi-final against Valencia.

"I came back for pre-season with Levante and they said I wouldn't be allowed to travel with them to matches, so I had a pre-season on my own.

"I was running every day in the heat out there and it was good for me, but then I got the opportunity to come over and train with Sunderland.

"I spoke to other people (in England) and I was meant to go and train with another team before I came here, but this was a great opportunity to come back and play in the Premier League.

"When I spoke to the other club they said, 'It's a great opportunity, you have to take it'.

"I'm delighted I took their advice and I'm looking forward to playing for Roy."

Harte joined Levante when Leeds tumbled out of the top-flight in 2004 and, while his first season in Spain ended with relegation out of La Liga, the subsequent campaign saw the Irishman win promotion.

The experience of playing at the likes of the Nou Camp and the Bernabeu is something he will always cherish, but after also spending 12 months slogging through the lower reaches of the Spanish game, Harte is hoping to set his sights somewhat higher with Sunderland.

"We played in the top division during my first year in Spain and got relegated," he said. "But then I helped the team get promoted (in 2005-06) and scored nine goals. I was the team's second-leading goalscorer.

"It was a good experience, but the training facilities and stadium over there weren't very professional so it was a great opportunity to come back to England.

"I was at Leeds for 12 years so it's great to come back to a club like Sunderland where everything's really organised and where our main objective is to not just to stay in the Premier League, but to do well in it as well."

Such success seems somewhat distant after four successive defeats saw the Black Cats crash out of the Carling Cup and tumble down the Premier League table.

But after watching Sunderland's progress from afar over the course of the last 12 months, Harte remains confident that his new employers are capable of springing a surprise this season.

"The lads who were here last year did fantastically well," he said.

"When the gaffer came in they were in the relegation zone and to not only get them promoted, but win the league was a fantastic achievement.

"More players have arrived now and it's a great opportunity for all the lads to show what they're capable of."