New Sunderland signing Bolo Zenden has been a regular visitor to safc.com to check up on team-mate Lorik Cana.

The Dutch international revealed his visits to this very website after being reunited with the Sunderland captain, a former colleague for two seasons at Marseille.

Albanian Cana has proved to be a runaway hit since moving from France for a bargain £5m in the summer with his all-action displays and freight-train challenges in the middle of the park.

Zenden, meanwhile, is not surprised in the slightest that his old mate has become such a folk hero in only three months on Wearside.

"Given his style, I'm not surprised Lorik has become a fans' favourite," he said.  "He likes to put in a tackle and is there to lead the way.

"I kept checking the polls on the club website and he's won six of them so far.

"I phoned him and said 'things are going well I can see - you can go and get your Player of the Year trophy now'!"

"He told me he wasn't there yet!  He's a nice guy, a good guy and it's good to be reunited with him."

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