PAUL McSHANE has been dubbed the new Kevin Moran in his native Ireland for the all-action defender's playing style for Sunderland.

Moran, the first man to be sent off in an FA Cup final back in 1985, was famed for his fearless commitment during ten years at Manchester United.

When he left it was claimed the United club doctor was relieved because of the sheer number of times the centre-back needed head wounds stitching.

Given how McShane has followed the long-retired former Red Devil on to the Ireland scene, it is Moran who Sunderland's young centre-back is being compared with following an uncompromising start to life on Wearside.

The 21-year-old has recently recovered from his own head wound, which required ten stitches, suffered in the fixture with Wigan on August 18.

He also played through the pain barrier at Old Trafford on Saturday, when he had to have an injection before the game to ease the pain in a problematic shoulder.

The same injury kept him out of training with the Irish squad earlier this week but he is expected to figure in the Euro 2008 qualifier with Slovakia on Saturday.

It is that attitude which has also quickly won over the Sunderland fans.

"I think I see why I'm being compared with Kevin Moran," said McShane.

"Mick Brown, the chief scout at Sunderland, was at Man United when I was younger and he pulled me aside when I was 17 and said 'you're going to be like Kevin Moran because of the way you go into challenges. You put your whole body into challenges'.

"I didn't really think of it again until he asked me the other day whether I remembered what he had said because I got the head injury and stuff.

"I have also had that shoulder injury, from when I fell on it against Liverpool. But in the last few days it's been feeling pretty good and I'm determined to play."

During the two years McShane spent at United after joining in August 2004, he experienced what life was like playing alongside Keane every day in training.

The £2.5m purchase from West Brom, who has tasted victory just once since his arrival, believes that working under his hero will make him into an even better defender.

"Play to your strengths is what he hammers home to us," said McShane. "He's a great manager, he's really good, he's inspirational and he's got good things to say. He's very good for the team before games.

"I've only been there a month but he does pull you aside and say 'you're a defender, so defend', which is fine because I enjoy that.

"He was a player I respected when I was at United, he was inspirational and I trained with him. I did have a lot of contact with him there but I wasn't his best pal."

Sunderland have lost their last four matches but McShane is confident things will turn around and that Sunderland can soon add to their four points.

"It's been exciting playing against world-class players every week," he said.

"It was a good start to play Spurs. They had great strikers on the day, Berbatov, Keane, Bent and Defoe came on. It was a good start, you've got to be on your toes every minute, you're concentration has to be spot on, so it's been brilliant."

Sunderland defender Russell Anderson is still on Wearside after being forced to pull out of Scotland's Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania on Saturday.

Danny Simpson has been rewarded for a positive loan spell at Sunderland last season with a new three-year contract at Manchester United.

Sunderland have sold all their tickets for their first visit to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on October 7. Season ticket holders have until September 10 to apply for tickets for Sunderland's trip to West Ham on October 21 (4pm), using voucher 30. Tickets are £34 adults and £17 under-16s and over-65s. General sale is from 10am on Tuesday, September 18, subject to availability.