Sunderland captain John O'Shea hopes the Boxing Day trip to Manchester United will not be the last time he plays at Old Trafford.
O'Shea, 35, knows the stadium well, having spent 12 years at United, where he won a host of trophies including five Premier League titles, the Champions League and FA Cup.
The Republic of Ireland international is in the final year of his contract at Sunderland, but is hoping he can carry on his playing career for some time yet.
"It's always a special day for me when I go back to Old Trafford," O'Shea is quoted as saying by The Chronicle. "I hope it won't be my last trip there. I'm fit and well and want to play on. Thankfully throughout my career I've rarely had to have a long spell out or had major operations. I'm looking to play as long as possible.
"I was fairly confident when I left United that I would still be playing now because of the way I have looked after myself and done the right things through my career. I have some excellent examples at United, from people maintaining their careers."
O'Shea left United for Sunderland in 2011, and admits he sometimes thinks he should have stayed around at Old Trafford for longer.
"Yes, I have thought that a few times," he said. "I had a year left on my contract [at United] and we always said over the years that I could leave if the manager thought I wasn't going to get enough football to keep me happy.
"It's all ifs and buts but at the time I thought I was going to guarantee myself a lot more football if I went away from United. But it wasn't an easy decision, that's for sure."
