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Dwight Yorke is a wanted man in Australia after it emerged that an attempt to lure the Sunderland midfielder back to the A-League this summer is being planned.


But Roy Keane will not appreciate efforts to prise the 35-year-old away from the Stadium of Light having credited his former Old Trafford team-mate with playing a decisive role in the Black Cats' remarkable revival.

The Trinidad and Tobago international spent 12 months Down Under as Sydney FC's `marquee player'.

As his former club last night unveiled plans to replace him with Teddy Sheringham, the Central Coast Mariners admitted an interest in bringing Yorke back to New South Wales.

"I think it would be great," said club director John Singleton, who has pledged to support coach Lawrie McKinna should he decide to pursue a move for the Wearside schemer.

"He would certainly put bums on seats. Lawrie's a champion bloke and I would do anything to help him if he rang me about it. If Lawrie thought it was a good idea, I would back it."

The Mariners' interest is in its infancy, although reports emanating from Australia last night suggested Yorke would welcome the chance to return to A-League action at the end of the season.

"Dwight really does miss it out here and I wouldn't be surprised if we see him back in the A-League next year or the year after," said the Sydney defender Iain Fyfe, who revealed that he has spent recent weeks attempting to persuade Yorke to head back to Australia.

"I speak to him about once a week and I'm always telling him how great the weather is and how there are girls everywhere - just to rub it in.

"I know he has a year left at Sunderland and if they make it back to the Premier League next year, it would be 50-50 as to whether he would want to go back to that level.

"He might want a final send-off in the Premiership or he might opt for lifestyle and come back here because he has certainly got nothing left to prove over there. Dwight has done everything in the Premiership with Manchester United. Either way, I certainly don't think we have seen the last of him in the A-League."

His future might be uncertain, but what is clear is that Yorke is fully committed to Sunderland's promotion challenge. The Soca Warriors veteran has been in fine form in recent weeks and it was his goal that set the Black Cats on the path to victory at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

"I signed Dwight because he's a decent player and I thought he would be good for the dressing room," said Keane, who believes Yorke's influence alone has made his acquisition a vital one.

"He brings great experience. My first challenge as a manager was to get a good dressing room and I have to say I have one now."

Keane has been impressed with the impact Yorke has made, both on and off the pitch, since his August arrival, and the Irishman will not encourage debate about his future employment at such an important stage of the season.

The Black Cats boss has talked about Yorke as a coach in the making and it would be no surprise were he to have plans to keep his former Manchester United colleague in the North-East for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the Stadium of Light has been voted the best ground for visiting supporters at the 2007 Football League awards ceremony in London.