CIRKIN SET TO LEAVE
- BY BEN HARDIE
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Current Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has confirmed he is set to leave the club at the end of his contract on June 30th in an Instagram post.
Cirkin first joined Sunderland in 2021, playing a key role as we escaped the clutches of League One. He then contributed five goals the following season, as we impressively reached the play-offs, including a brace against West Bromwich Albion towards the end of the campaign. Despite injuries limiting his game time in 2023/24, he was able to recover and came back to be a huge factor in returning us to the Premier League the following year. Injuries and competition in his spot has meant he hasn't managed to get onto the pitch too often in the most recent season but a highlight was keeping a clean sheet in a draw with Manchester City on New Years' Day. In total, Cirkin donned a Sunderland shirt 126 times, contributing eight goals and seven assists.
Cirkin said: "As a young boy, all I wanted was an opportunity. A chance to play, to prove to myself that I belonged. Sunderland gave me that, and then gave me so much more. Because this was never just about football. This city took me in and made me one of its own. The people here are like nowhere else: proud, loyal, full of heart and so passionate. That spirit gets into you. It changed me. Walking out at the SOL with that crowd behind me is a feeling I’ll chase for the rest of my life. The roar, the energy, the way it lifts us, that was always you. On the best days you carried us, and on the hardest days you never once turned your backs. I’ll never forget that. To this city and its people: thank you for taking a chance on me, and for making me feel at home from the very first day. Thank you. For the passion, the loyalty, the noise week after week. To represent you, and to wear this badge over 100 times, has been one of the greatest privileges of my life When I look back, I won’t remember the statistics. I’ll remember the heart and soul of our community. The feeling of a whole city behind one team. What we built back up together. I arrived a boy chasing a dream. I leave carrying this place, and all of you, with me forever."
The 24-year-old also leaves with the possibility of an international career at a senior level, having recently switched allegiances from England to Latvia.
