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Northern Ireland hitman Kyle Lafferty reckons he will be right at home at Sunderland - because the League One side are equal in size to former club Rangers.

Lafferty agreed a deal to leave Ibrox in July last year after failing to make an impression in his second spell at the club.

The 32-year-old target man spend last year at Norwegian top flight club Sarpsborg where he played only nine games.

He has now returned to the UK with a move to the League One side who are battling to re-enter the English Championship .

And Lafferty feels that he will adapt well to life in the north of England having experienced life at a big club by his two spells in Glasgow.

He said: “Rangers is probably one of the biggest clubs in the world and Sunderland is right up there as well; the fanbase, the size and structure of the club is equal to Rangers.

“So, I know what it takes to play for a club of this size and what to expect.

“The fans expect you to go out and win every single game, no matter who it is against, whether it’s (a team from) the top of the league or the bottom.

“You have to pick up maximum points in every game.”

He told the Sunderland website: “I’m here and I’m excited.

“I said when Sunderland approached me that I would have come here at 21 so, to get the opportunity at 32 years of age, I’m blessed and excited.

“To get the chance to play for this football club was a no-brainer for me.

“I've had about four or five weeks off, I've been doing running myself but training with a team is a different thing.

“You miss that sharpness, getting close to people, pressing people. Hopefully a week or two under my belt I'll be up to scratch and raring to go.”

Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson thinks the Northern Ireland international can add something to his side.

He said: “He brings good competition at the top of the pitch, he has good energy, can stretch the pitch.

“He has good physicality about his game and his movement in and around the box is good.”