Neill had been tipped to re-sign with the London East End club at a crunch meeting on Monday but while talks progressed, no agreement could be reached once again.

Now Neill has travelled to Peterbrough in Cambridgeshire to meet up with the Sunderland squad who were in town for a pre-season friendly.

And Black Cats boss Bruce has revealed his interest in signing Neill as a free agent.

"We have had a little conversation to see where Lucas is at," Bruce told the BBC. "We will see where he is, where his mind is at and go from there.

"He is experienced, has played in the Premier League and is on a free transfer, so that's the attraction."

With the new season just over a week away, the race is now on for Neill to find a new club.

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek warned earlier this week that his players must be getting regular game-time if they want to go to the World Cup next year.

Neill has also been linked with moves to Manchester City and alongside Harry Kewell at Galatasaray in Turkey.