Bramble arrived at Sunderland after leaving Wigan in July

Sunderland defender Titus Bramble has said the lure of working with manager Steve Bruce was a key factor in his summer move from Wigan Athletic.

Bramble, 29, lists rivals Newcastle among his former clubs but was prepared to risk a negative response from fans to be reunited with his former mentor.

"He's great, I love working with him," Bramble told BBC Newcastle.

"It did cross my mind that I was ex-Newcastle United, but there was no doubt, I jumped at the chance."

The gamble taken by the former England Under-21 international in joining Sunderland for £1m appears to have paid off, given his performances in the Black Cats side so far this season.

In four appearances for the club so far, Bramble has helped the club to two wins and a draw, including a 1-0 victory over Premier League title challengers Manchester City.

"The fans have been fantastic to me, so that's made my life back in the North East much easier," Bramble added.

"You don't know what kind of response you're going to get being an ex-Geordie, but even when I went to Portugal to meet the rest of the lads, the fans were fantastic with me.

"It was a massive boost of confidence, I thought there would be a few boos, but they've been fantastic to me."

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