On this day in 2009, a 33-year-old Bolo Zenden made his Sunderland debut from the subs bench in THAT game involving a beach ball...
Zenden had played for some of Europe’s most elite clubs such as Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool before winding down his career on Wearside.
After two years in Marseille, the maverick midfielder returned to England, signing for Steve Bruce in 2009. The gaffer said: "We are delighted to be able to add a player of Bolo's quality to the squad. He has performed at the highest level year after year and he's done extremely well during his time training with the club. The move happened fairly quickly. Bolo came in and it was immediately obvious that he was still supremely fit. Bolo's performances in training have persuaded me that he has a valuable role to play this season. He brings international class, a steadying influence and a wide breadth of experience. He gives us more depth in midfield."
Zenden had kept himself in good condition and, despite being limited to substitute appearances, gave us a number of memorable moments. The1-0 win over Liverpool was hard earned, despite the utterly bizarre circumstances surrounding the goal. He came on to replace an injured Lee Cattermole as a second half substitute.
His first goal for the Lads came in a heavy defeat to Chelsea, where we lost 7-2. Despite the scoreline, Zenden impressed, scoring just 10 minutes after coming on with a fine half-volley. Undoubtedly though, his best goal for Sunderland was in a 3-1 win over Tottenham, scoring an amazing acrobatic volley that found the top corner.
In November 2010, the Dutchman made headlines for other reasons. He went viral online after his hilarious attempt to join in with Asamoah Gyan’s goal celebration! At the end of the season, Zenden decided not to renew his contract and Sunderland turned out to be his last club, captaining the lads and scoring on his final appearance against West Ham, as we confirmed our 10th-placed finish with a 3-0 win. A classy performance to mark the end of a classy career.
