Carl Winchester has completed his move to Sunderland, the club has confirmed.
The midfielder has joined the Wearsiders for an undisclosed fee from League Two Forest Green Rovers on a two-and-a-half year deal.
The 27-year-old becomes Sunderland's first addition in the January transfer window and the first of head coach Lee Johnson's reign.
Winchester said: "It's a massive club and once I heard about the interest, there was only one place I wanted to come.
"I'll give my all for the team and I'll go out there and wear my heart on my sleeve.
"The head coach believes in me and I believe in myself.
"I'm coming into my prime, so I’m hoping I can settle in well with the lads and kick on from there."
The move reunites the Northern Ireland international with Johnson, after the pair had previously worked together during Johnson's two-year spell at Oldham Athletic between 2013 and 15.
Johnson added: "After assessing our squad and establishing the profile of midfielder we wanted to bring in, we evaluated all the elements, inclusive of the data, and felt that Carl was the right player to add to our squad.
"He is a good player who is in the prime of his career, and his versatility means he can play in a number of positions, ensuring he will also bring depth to our squad.
"When he was a young player at Oldham, every top club wanted him, which shows the potential he has always had.
"He has represented some good clubs, but in terms of division, we believe he has been playing below his natural level."
Winchester joined the Latics from Northern Ireland club Linfield in 2010, after impressing during a trial spell at Boundary Park.
He made 140 appearances in all competitions for Oldham, scoring eight goals, before moving on to Cheltenham Town in January 2017, where he made a further 70 appearances and scored six goals.
He joined Forest Green in 2018 and made 114 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals.
