OTD: JI DONG-WON BORN

Very few Sunderland players will be remembered for decades to come, not least a player who only scored twice for us despite being a striker and only ever turning out for us 28 times, but a certain South Korean did just that when he scored a last minute winner on New Year's Day in 2012!

Ji Dong-Won was signed for Sunderland by Steve Bruce in the summer transfer window of 2011 from South Korean side Jeonnam Dragons on a three year deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £2m. He would fail to make an impression in the Premier League and just couldn't hit the ground running, after all he was still a young lad and had only played one full season of professional football in his homeland.

In pre-season he impressed in the 'Barclays Asia Cup', scoring four goals and grabbing two assists, however, he failed to replicate that form in competitive football. He scored his first goal in the 90th minute against Chelsea in a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light, a consolation goal but this wouldn't be his only last minute goal! Steve Bruce was dismissed as manager and replaced by Martin O'Neill who didn't favour the South Korean front man, although he would come off the bench with less than a quarter of an hour left on the clock on New Year's Day to score that now famous winner against Manchester City.

Ji made the run in injury time, played it into Sessegnon before the Benin international slipped it back through to the substitute who was 'onside', kept on by Gareth Barry, before he rounded England keeper Joe Hart and tapped into the empty net, resulting in a 1-0 win and writing himself into Sunderland folklore.

Paolo Di Canio reportedly turned down a £5m bid for him in the summer transfer window of 2013 and Ji would start under the Italian but fell out of favour after several below-par performances. He was humiliated by Di Canio, who let him start the second half against MK Dons before subbing him off - allowing the Sunderland fans to cheer his substitution, rather than do it at half time. The following week he was brought off at half time after pulling out of a header against Crystal Palce. Paolo said: “I cannot change the heart of my players. One time we did a delivery very well and Ji didn’t push his head forward. I am more disappointed than him. I think also the fans [were] because the expectation on him is very high because he can do much better, even in only keeping the ball. We don’t ask the moon: Not lose every ball under pressure. The young fella (Connor Wickham), he can keep the ball much better if they have more desire; and if they play less empty in the brain they can keep the ball much better. At this moment they are empty.”

Things were no better for Ji under Gus Poyet. He was loaned out to FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga before he left Wearside permanently to sign for German giants Borussia Dortmund, he would fail to make an impression at the Signal Iduna Park and would return to Augsburg permanently this time before he enjoyed a spell with FSV Mainz 05 where he was loaned to Eintracht Braunschweig. He was at FC Seoul of the K League 1 between 2021 and 2023 and currently plays for Suwon FC of the same division.