On this day, George Honeyman made his debut for the lads coming off the bench in a 2-0 defeat to Bradford City in the FA Cup in 2015. Jon Stead scored against us and Phil Parkinson was their manager. What a time to follow SAFC.
Honeyman joined Sunderland’s academy at just 10 years old, making his debut in that 2-0 fifth round FA Cup loss at Bradford, msterminded by Parkinson via Stead and a John O'Shea own goal. Despite only playing the last five minutes, manager Gus Poyet said after the match: "George would have been coming on earlier because we needed a bit of his running between the lines and ability to make runs".
After a loan spell to Gateshead, Honeyman’s Premier League debut came in a 2-2 draw with Watford. The lads were already safe, and Big Sam rang the changes. It was a youthful squad that included the likes of Rees Greenwood and Thomas Robson, with Honeyman coming off the bench. In the match, Sunderland went ahead twice but were pegged back both times by Watford, who also had two goals disallowed!
After we were relegated to the Championship, George really began to make his presence known in the squad. He started the first 13 matches of the season, despite only seeing us win once in those games. His first league goal for the club came in the fourth minute against Sheffield Wednesday to put us ahead, although it ultimately ended 1-1.
In League One, Jack Ross was quick to appoint Honeyman as club captain. He was a mainstay throughout the season, playing in both the play-off and Checkatrade Trophy final. His absence from the Checkatrade penalty shootout was somewhat controversial at the time, with some fans suggesting that the captain should have the confidence to put himself forward for a spot kick.
The play-off heartbreak was ultimately Honeyman’s final game in red and white, as he completed a surprise move to Hull City in August 2019, rumoured to be worth around £300,000. When reflecting on the move, our former captain said: “Wednesday lunchtime, I get a phone call and it’s Hull, Hull have put a bid in for you and I’m thinking ‘Jesus Christ, that’s went quick’, ‘Let us know what Sunderland say and let us know what happens because obviously I have one year left’ and they’re like ‘well surely this will trigger a new contract. Basically two hours later, Sunderland have accepted the bid and my medical is the next day. I’m kind of thinking ‘blooming heck’, I haven’t even said anything and I’m like to my agent ‘does that mean Sunderland are not going to offer me a new contract or whatever?’ and they’re like ‘no, they’ve accepted the bid’.”
After Hull were relegated to League One, Honeyman was instrumental in taking them back up as champions. He had a new look with long, flowing hair. It clearly brought him some luck, as Hull comfortably won promotion. Honeyman was second in the assist table with 13, only being beaten by our own Aiden McGeady.
He's now playing for Millwall and is a solid Championship utility man. Honeyman’s sale was yet another example of the regime at the time scrambling around for pennies, and doing everything in their power to raise any sort of funds - although now we're back in the Championship, I wouldn't take him back...
