Trinidad and Tobago international Dwight Yorke is reported to be heading back to England to play for struggling League Championship side Sunderland and his former Manchester United teammate Roy Keane.

Australian radio reported Thursday that the 34-year-old midfielder-forward did not travel to Melbourne with the rest of his Sydney FC teammates for Saturday's A-League match against the Melbourne Victory.

Sydney FC chief executive Tim Parker confirmed the club is speaking to Sunderland about a transfer deal for Yorke before the European transfer window closes.

Yorke and Keane, who took over as manager at Sunderland on Monday, were teammates at Manchester United.

``There's conversations going on at the moment but there's no resolution,'' Parker said Thursday. ``We don't like to talk if there's no facts, we'll have facts soon and then we'll talk about it.''

Yorke played well in Sydney FC's first match of the season last weekend, a 1-0 win over Central Coast. He had not played since injuring his groin in Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup first-round matches in Germany in June.

Yorke returned to Sydney for a second season in late July. Although Sydney coach Terry Butcher said Yorke would play a full season with the defending league champions, Yorke sounded less sure.

``I'll be quite honest, there is interest as we speak, but it's not for me to discuss that,'' Yorke said then. ``I signed a two-year contract and my obligation is to fulfil that. Whether that continues or not I don't know.''

On Thursday, Butcher also sounded less certain that Yorke would stay.

``In the end it was the right decision for him to remain (in Sydney) and get this cleared up because everyone wants a resolution and to know what's happening,'' Butcher said.

He said Yorke still wanted to prove himself at the top level.

``Sunderland are not in the premiership now but they have ambitions to go back up,'' Butcher said.

``It's only because of Roy Keane's appointment in the last day and a half that interest has finally materialized. Until the two clubs can come to an agreement or it's not resolved we just have to progress.''

``The players know that if Dwight does go he would be a huge loss to the club and to the A-League.''

© The Canadian Press, 2007