Today, I will be discussing my best Sunderland XI since I started supporting the lads back in 2013. To say it has been a bumpy road as a Sunderland fan during these times would be an understatement, but we have also had some major talent during the last decade; this article will be based on players since the 2013/14 season.
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GK – JORDAN PICKFORD
A homegrown talent and a massive Sunderland fan like all of us, Pickford rose through the ranks of our academy, then became our number one during hard times for the club as one of the few to stand out in a dismal side that finished bottom of the league. Of course he was sold on to Everton for a fee of £30 million and became a Premier League regular - Pickford has also proved himself at international level, becoming the main goalkeeper for Gareth Southgate in a high quality England side.
LB – PATRICK VAN AANHOLT
The Dutchman signed for Sunderland in July 2014 for an undisclosed fee (rumours placed the value at £1.5 million) and what an incredibly valuable player he became. A very attack-minded full back, Van Aanholt had a desire for goals and assists as well as maintaining a quality defensive record. He bagged 7 goals for the lads in 82 appearances, an impressive return for a left back, between 2014 and 2017 before departing for Crystal Palace.
CB – JOHN O’SHEA
What more could you want from a centre half? Big at 6 foot 3, strong and quality at defending. John O’Shea established himself quickly as a leader on the pitch, having previously had time in an incredible Manchester United side. He won 14 trophies during his time at the Red Devils before spending seven years with Sunderland and was just as crucial in sealing survival in the Premier League for a number of years.
CB – YOUNES KABOUL
There were a number of players who could have partnered O’Shea at CB, but I have decided to go for the Frenchman. Although Kaboul only made 24 appearances for us, he was crucial to keeping us up in the 15/16 season having formed a formidable partnership with Lamine Kone. Not to mention he was awarded MOTM in the 3-0 win against Everton that kept us up and sent the Mags down!
RB – PHIL BARDSLEY
The Scottish international has coincidentally just announced his retirement from football aged 37. Bardsley played a key role for a number of years at Sunderland and mostly gets into this team for his contribution to the 2013-14 campaign. He joined the club in 2008 and made 174 appearances in red and white, and mainly contributed under the reigns of Martin O’Neill and Gus Poyet.
CM – LEE CATTERMOLE
I’m sure we all know this man was coming, having gained a legendary reputation around the Stadium of Light. Catts joined from Wigan in the summer of 2009 - on his debut he was named MOTM and quickly became known as a no-nonsense player and a firm fan favourite. With his tough-tackling he let his opponents know he was there, and Sunderland fans will never forget him for the 10 years he spent here.
CM – JAN KIRCHHOFF
This could be a more controversial one, but as we have gone for a 4-3-3, he will be in the midfield. The gigantic German joined midway through the 2015-16 season, and made up for the appalling debut vs Spurs with his brilliant tackling and passing capabilities which would soon become key for Big Sam. With Kirchhoff making 15 appearances in the second half of the season, he was amongst a team that battled hard to remain in the Premier League.
CM – YANN M’VILA
Another stand-out performer in the 2015-16 season, alongside Kirchhoff, Yann played a vital role in keeping us up, including a Man of the Match performance in a 3-0 derby win vs Newcastle. He expressed his desire to stay at Sunderland permanently after playing 37 games in red and white, but was forced back to his parent club Rubin Kazan after Sunderland reportedly ‘Didn’t pick up the phone’. Despite this, Sunderland fans will never forget his incredible loan spell.
LW – FABIO BORINI
Fabio Borini was of course much better during his loan spell than when he signed for us permanently, but that amazing season cements him as one of my favourite players. The Italian had a habit for scoring against the Mags and also dared us to dream in the League Cup final. He turned us down when we chased him for a full transfer window the following season, but he eventually returned after realising he wouldn’t be able to break into Liverpool’s attack.
RW – AMAD DIALLO
Amad is the latest case of ‘never fall in love with a loan player’. Sunderland brought in Amad for the start of the 2022-23 Championship season with the aim of developing his game while on loan from Manchester United. And did we do just that. 37 Games, 13 Goals. Some were special strikes, the fourth vs Wigan and the equaliser against Luton just to name a few. There is no doubt Amad Diallo has proven his quality, therefore he makes this 11.
ST – JERMAIN DEFOE
Do I even need to explain this one? One of our greats, bagging goals for fun in red and white. Defoe joined the Black Cats in 2015 after agreeing a three-and-a-half year deal, in exchange for Jozy Altidore who left for Toronto FC. Unlike Jozy, Defoe made an immediate impact in his first campaign, scoring one of the greatest goals the Tyne-Wear derby has seen with a volley in our 1-0 win, and after this he had no desire to stop, ending his first Sunderland term with 34 goals in 87 games. I think we can all agree that his return was disappointing to say the least, but he simply has to make this list for an unforgettable first spell.
