On this day in 2018 we beat Wolves in what was a meaningless game really, we were already confirmed down but the lads still won 3-0. Let's see where all the lads who featured are now.
GK - JASON STEELE
After only one year at the club, Jason Steele left Sunderland in June 2018 once his contract expired. The shot stopper was a part of the infamous goalkeeping trio of the 2017/18 campaign. The other two being Lee Camp and Robbin Ruiter. All three keepers were renowned for making school boys errors and costing Sunderland games. So, many people were happy to see the back of Steele. He joined Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2018, and he was initially signed as a back up keeper. However, an injury to Robert Sanchez meant that Steele was given the chance to play. Surprisingly, the former Blackburn man has featured for Brighton over 50 times now, playing 22 times in all competitions so far this season. Needless to say, Steele has gotten better since leaving Sunderland.
RB - ADAM MATTHEWS
The former Celtic man spent four years on Wearside. He oversaw back to back relegations and two Wembley defeats. Needless to say he was far from a fan favourite. He was even loaned out to Bristol City for a few seasons in between. The Welshman left Sunderland in 2019 and joined newly promoted Charlton Athletic, who beat Sunderland in the playoff final to win promotion to the Championship earlier that year. He spent three seasons with the Addicks, before moving to Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia in the summer of 2022. He still plays there now.
LB - BRYAN OVIEDO
The Costa Rican left Wearside in July 2019, after the club failed to win promotion from League One. Similarly to Matthews, Oviedo was a part of back to back relegations and two failed Wembley trips. However, he was definitely viewed in a more positive light. He returned to FC Copenhagen for three seasons, before moving to MLS side Real Salt Lake in August 2022. He currently still plays for the club.
CB - JOHN O'SHEA
O’Shea left Sunderland after seven years, when the Lads were relegated to League One. He joined Reading for one season, before retiring on his 38th birthday. The Irishman had a long and successful playing career, and he is now interim manager of the Republic of Ireland senior team. He recently spoke about wanting to become our next head coach.
CB - MARC WILSON
After only spending one year at the club, Marc Wilson left Sunderland for Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2018. The Trotters were relegated later that season and Wilson left the club. He returned to football in May of 2021, where he joined Icelandic side Throttur Vogum. He then joined another Icelandic side, IBV in April 2022, before retiring at the age of 35.
CDM - ETHAN ROBSON
Young Robson was loaned out to multiple clubs, Dundee FC and Grimsby Town before joining Blackpool in August 2020. He won promotion with Tangerines in 2021, however he was quickly loaned out to MK Dons for the 21/22 campaign. He made 23 appearances for the franchise before moving there permanently prior to the 2022/23 season.
CM - PADDY MCNAIR
Middlesbrough signed McNair for a fee of around £5,700,000 in the summer of 2018. The former Manchester United man left Sunderland after two years. He was a regular for the Smoggies, playing 219 times in his six years at the club. He recently departed and is now a free agent.
CM - OVIE EJARIA
Ejaria returned to Liverpool in the summer of 2018, and was loaned out to Rangers. He was recalled after six months, and loaned out to Reading in January 2019. The Royals signed Ejaria permanently that summer and he was a solid first team regular for the next two seasons. He barely featured for the Berkshire side in 2022/23 and departed the club in December 2023, with him still a free agent now.
RW - JOEL ASORO
Despite being viewed as a bright prospect, Asoro signed for Swansea for a fee of around £2,300,000. The Swede barely featured for the Swans, and he left there to join Swedish side Djurgarden in February 2021. He scored 21 goals in 99 appearances for the club. In August 2023 he signed for Ligue 1 club Metz and has so far scored twice in 21 appearances.
Many fans were disappointed with the way in which Asoro left the club and lots of us thought he would have been great in League One.
LW - LUKE MOLYNEUX
When Sunderland were relegated, Molyneux was loaned out to Gateshead in September and Hartlepool in January. He went there permanently in July 2019, and scored 16 goals in 95 appearances. He won promotion to League Two with the Monkey Hangers in 2021, before joining Doncaster in summer 2022. He recently registered his 100th appearance for the South Yorkshire team and is gearing up for a surprise play-off campaign after they won 10 of their last 11 League Two fixtures so could be a League One player next season.
ST - ASHLEY FLETCHER
The forward returned to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018, and he went on to score 26 goals in 89 appearances. Despite a few good spells, he was released in June 2021 and signed for then Premier League side Watford. The forward has barely featured for the Hornets and he was on loan at Wigan Athletic in 2022/23. Fletcher has only scored two goals for the Latics, who were relegated to League One. This season he was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday and managed no goals and just one assist in his 28 games.
SUB - ELLIOT EMBLETON
Embleton is the only player who is currently still at the club, he is currently out injured. The playmaker has since won back to back playoff finals. One when he was on loan at Blackpool and of course the victory over Wycombe, where he scored from outside the box. He made 24 appearances for us, scoring twice and assisting twice in our first season back in the second tier before spending a long time out injured. Embleton recovered and was loaned out to Derby this season but he suffered a freak injury in training and was therefore recalled from his loan and hasn't played any competitive football since September 2023.
SUB - DENVER HUME
Denver Hume was a regular for Sunderland during the dreaded League One days, the fullback made 84 appearances for the club. He also scored three goals. Hume signed for Portsmouth in January 2022, and he went on to make 31 appearances for the club. Needless to say, the move didn't go as well as Hume would have liked and he moved to Grimsby Town this February.
SUB - BALI MUMBA
John O’Shea handed then 16 year old Bali Mumba the captains armband, when he was subbed on against Wolves in the 87th minute. It looked like he was the future, however he only went on to feature 10 times for the club. He was controversially sold to Norwich in July 2020, with many fans unhappy with his departure. Mumba was a part of Norwich’s 2021 Championship winning squad. He was then loaned out to Peterborough in January 2022, where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal. However, he has finally made his breakthrough on loan at Plymouth in 2022/23. The former Sunderland man scored six goals and contributed seven assists, helping to guide Argyle to promotion alongside Jay Matete. He also picked up the League One Young Player Of the Season award. He moved to Devon permanently and has remained a regular, scoring three times and assisting three in 47 games this season, the exact same number of games he played the season prior.
