SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce has said he is “absolutely delighted” to have landed Connor Wickham.

The 18-year-old has this afternoon completed his move away from Portman Road and can now look forward to Premier League football next season.

And Bruce hinted he will go straight into first team contention following the �8.1 million move, rising to �12 million with add-ons.

The Sunderland manager said: “A number of top sides have been chasing Connor for some time now so naturally we are absolutely delighted he has chosen to come to Sunderland.

“He’s still very young but at 6ft 3in he’s a physical presence. With his height and style of play he’ll offer us a threat in front of goal and complement our existing strikers.

“We have been watching him for a while now and he is improving and developing all the time. He’s a great prospect and I’m sure our supporters will love watching him play.”