The defender moved to Ipswich Town on-loan in January, though with his contract running down at Sunderland, he accepts he won't be returning to his hometown club.
He said, “My biggest thing was to go somewhere I was going to play some football. I almost lost my purpose a little bit. As a footballer, you train Monday to Friday for that game on a Saturday and to give your all.
"I really missed that feeling. A big thing for me was to go somewhere, play football and start to enjoy it again.
“I think it suited both me and the club the way the deal is structured. There’s one goal in mind, and that’s to get promoted, then we’ll see what happens after that.
"Hopefully, we do get that promotion, finish top two, and (staying longer) is an option. Whatever happens in the summer, happens in the summer.”