Last Friday the 23rd April 2021 marked 10 years since Sunderland came from behind to beat Wigan 4-2 at the Stadium of Light to secure their first victory in 10 matches and their first home win since New Year's Day 2011. Surprisingly the game was 0-0 at half time, but just after half time the lads fell behind to a Mohamed Diame wonder strike. Asamoah Gyan hit back instantly with a header before local lad Jordan Henderson put Sunderland in front before Stephane Sessegnon won and converted a penalty. Sessegnon then teed up Henderson to slot home his second and make it 4-1, with Franco di Santo pulling one back for the Latics.
The afternoon had the potential to be a disaster for Sunderland as we lost three players to injury. Danny Welbeck’s injury in the first half and Gyan's injury in the second half left us with no recognised strikers on the pitch or the bench, however we still managed to score three goals in 11 minutes. The result proved a turning point after a poor run of form in the second half of the season, the lads would eventually finish in 10th place, which was disappointing considering we were 6th at one point.
GK: SIMON MIGNOLET
The Belgian signed from Sint-Truiden in June 2010 for a fee of £2 million. He became first-choice goalkeeper on arrival and was Man of the Match in his debut against Birmingham. Mignolet made some fine saves against Wigan including denying Hugo Rodallega after 31 minutes when the striker was through on goal. However Mignolet couldn’t have done anything to prevent the 30 yard screamer from Diame. Mignolet’s performances at Sunderland earned him a lot of praise and a number of admirers. In June 2013 Mignolet signed for Liverpool for £9 million. Saving a penalty on debut against Stoke, Mignolet was first choice keeper at Liverpool for a number of years. However he lost his place to Loris Karius in 2016. After regaining his place Mignolet lost it once more to Alisson in 2018. In August 2019 Mignolet signed for Belgian side Club Brugge, for a reported fee of £6.4 million. At present he is the Belgian clubs first choice keeper.
RB: PHIL BARDSLEY
Bardsley joined Sunderland from Manchester United in January 2008 and spent six years on Wearside. Whilst Bardsley’s ability was lacking at times, the effort and passion was always there. He established himself as a first team regular under Steve Bruce and won the Player of the Year award in the 2010/11 season. In the first 20 minutes of the Wigan game Bruce was forced to replace Bardsley, whose treatment for a head injury caused a six-minute stoppage. After his contract expired in 2014, Bardsley joined Stoke on a free and spent three seasons with the club before joining Burnley in July 2017, where he is currently still playing.
CB: MICHAEL TURNER
Turner was signed by Steve Bruce from Hull in August 2009 for £4 million. He made his debut against his former club Hull and thought he had scored on his debut, but the goal was later credited as an own goal. After recently returning from injury he played the full 90 minutes against Wigan, however the performance was not one of Turner’s best in a Sunderland shirt. In July 2012 Turner moved to Norwich for an undisclosed fee before joining Fulham on loan in March 2015 and in August 2015, Turner joined Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on a season-long loan. In May 2017 Turner was released by Norwich and signed for Southend United. In May 2019 Turner played 90 minutes as Southend beat Sunderland 2-1 on the last day of the season to stay up in League One. However, Turner was released at the end of the 2018/19 season and has since retired.
CB: NEDUM ONUOHA
Onuoha joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Man City in August 2010. The loanee is most remembered for his solo goal at Chelsea where he dribbled around three defenders before trickling the ball into the back of the net. Onuoha was injured in the Tyne-Wear derby in January 2011 and only returned two weeks before the Wigan game. His absence was a catalyst for a downturn in form, reflecting how vital he was to the side. Onuoha played the full 90 against Wigan and looked back to his best after his injury. Following this, he regained his first team place for the rest of the season. The club decided against signing him permanently and the defender joined QPR in summer 2011. He went to make 192 appearances for QPR and became club captain. Onuoha suffered two Prem relegations during his time at QPR but was part of the side that won the Championship Play Off Final in 2014. Onuoha joined MLS side Real Salt Lake in 2018 and spent two years in America before announcing his retirement from playing professional football in 2020.
LB: AHMED ELMOHAMADY
The Egyptian signed on a season-long loan in July 2010 and in March 2011, Sunderland announced they had taken up the option of a £2 million transfer. After being a first team regular under Steve Bruce, Elmohamady fell out of favour under Martin O’Neill. In August 2012 he moved to Hull City on loan and reunited with Steve Bruce. He made the move permanent in June 2013. Elmohamady won promotion to the Prem with Hull via the play offs in May 2016. Elmohamady re-united with Steve Bruce once more when he signed for Aston Villa in July 2017. The Egyptian won another Championship Play Off final in May 2019. Currently Elmohamady is still at Villa and has made three appearances in the Premier League this season.
CM: LEE CATTERMOLE
Love him or loathe him Cattermole wore his heart on his sleeve and was never afraid from diving into a tackle. Cattermole commanded the midfield that day with a gutsy performance and unsurprisingly was booked against his former side. He remained a key figure at Sunderland even after our relegation to League One in 2018. In July 2019 Cattermole announced his departure from Sunderland after ten years at the club. He signed for Dutch side VVV- Venlo in August 2019. He was released in May 2020 and has since retired.
CM: JACK COLBACK
The 2010/11 season was Colback’s breakthrough season at SAFC after a loan spell at Ipswich the season before. Colback was used as a make shift left back during the season but played in midfield against Wigan. Colback became a key figure at Sunderland under Bruce and then Martin O’Neill. However, after refusing to sign a new contract in June 2014, Colback signed for Newcastle on a free transfer. Colback moved to his boyhood club around 4 months after shushing the Gallowgate End after scoring in the Tyne-Wear derby. The move caused significant controversy with Sunderland releasing a statement describing the transfer as leaving a ‘bitter taste’. Colback went onto make over 100 appearances for Newcastle but was loaned out to Nottingham Forest for the end of the 2017/18 campaign and the full 2018/19 campaign. Colback was released in June 2020 after being deemed surplus to requirements. He signed for Nottingham Forest in August 2020.
CM: JORDAN HENDERSON
Our greatest academy graduate, in the 09/10 season Henderson broke into the Sunderland first team and made 33 Prem appearances, winning the Young Player of the Year award in his debut season. Henderson was a major part of the team during the 2010/11 season making 39 appearances and scoring 3 goals. He scored his first league double in the Wigan game and the performance was arguably one of his best in a Sunderland shirt. Henderson was named Sunderland's Young Player of the Year for the second season running at the end of the 2010/11 season. However in June 2011, Henderson was transferred to Liverpool for £20 million. Even though Henderson nearly joined Fulham in 2012, at Liverpool he has become a club legend, having captained the side that won the Champions League in 2019 and Premier League in 2020.
RW: STEPHANE SESSEGNON
One of the most technically gifted footballers to play at the Stadium of Light. Sessegnon signed from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2011 for £6 million. He scored a penalty in the victory over Wigan and looked at his silky best gliding round the Stadium of Light, assisting Jordan Henderson for our 4th goal. Sessegnon continued to impress at Sunderland winning the Player of the Season award for the 2011/12 season. Sessegnon also scored in the Tyne-Wear derby with a low daisy cutter that trickled past Tim Krul into the net. Sessegnon was sold to West Brom in September 2013 by manager Paolo di Canio and the decision still baffles me today. Sessegnon joined West Brom for a club record fee of £5.5 million and unsurprisingly scored for his new club against Sunderland a few weeks later. After being released by West Brom Sessegnon signed for Montpellier before going on to sign for Turkish Super Lig side Gençlerbirliği.
ST: ASAMOAH GYAN
After impressing at the 2010 World Cup Gyan signed for Sunderland on a four-year deal for a club record £13 million. Gyan scored on his debut at Wigan in September 2010 after coming on as a second half substitute. I was at Wigan for that goal and I can still remember the away end erupting when the ball hit the back of the net. Gyan then scored again against Wigan with the equaliser in April 2011, he headed in at the near post to level the score line. However the match ended prematurely for the forward as he was forced off with a hamstring injury which would see him ruled out until the last game of the season. Gyan finished his first season in English football with ten goals in the Prem. In September 2011 Gyan left Sunderland signing on a season long loan to UAE club Al Ain FC. Sunderland received £6 million for the loan and Gyan received up to four times his previous salary at his new club. Gyan signed permanently for Al Ain FC in July 2012 and has since went on to play for Shanghai SIPG and Turkish side Kayserispor. Currently Gyan is back in his native Ghana playing for Legon Cities.
LW: DANNY WELBECK
Signed by Steve Bruce from Manchester United in the summer of 2010, Welbeck made up the third part of the attacking trio of Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan, who’s goals guided Sunderland to a tenth place finish that season. Welbeck had his breakthrough season at Sunderland, scoring six times in 28 games. His first goal came at Chelsea in a famous 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge. Welbeck then scored two against Everton a week later. Welbeck’s form led to calls of an England call up, however a hamstring injury in January ruled him out for eight weeks. Welbeck also suffered a hamstring strain against Wigan and was forced off after 25 minutes. The injury cut his loan spell short and he headed back to Manchester United. He became a first team regular at United after his Sunderland loan spell and became an England regular. He has since went on to play for Arsenal and Watford. In the summer of 2020 he signed for Brighton.
SUBSTITUTES:
ANTON FERDINAND
Ferdinand was signed by Roy Keane in August 2008 and formed a defensive partnership with Danny Collins in the 08/09 season. However after Steve Bruce’s appointment Ferdinand fell out of the Sunderland team and was not initially given a squad number for the 2010/11 season. Ferdinand was an early substitute for the injured Phil Bardsley against Wigan and slotted into the back four. Ferdinand left for QPR in September 2011 and went onto play for Bursaspor, Reading, Southend before retiring after leaving St Mirren in July 2019.
STEED MALBRANQUE
Steeeeeed! One of my favourite ever Sunderland players. Malbranque is one of the most gifted players to ever play for Sunderland. He joined the lads alongside Spurs teammates Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio in July 2008. After playing on the left side of midfield during his early SAFC career, Malbranque moved into a more central role in the 10/11 season to accommodate loan signing Danny Welbeck. Malbranque actually came on for the injured Welbeck in the 25th minute against Wigan. Malbranque's inch-perfect cross was met by Gyan to level the game at 1-1. Despite being a fan favourite Malbranque left during the 2011 summer transfer window signing for Saint-Étienne. A month after joining the French side, rumours circulated that Malbranque had asked to be released from his contract due his son being ill with cancer. Malbranque eventually released a statement denying this. A day after the statement was released Malbranque left by mutual consent. Malbranque resigned for first club Lyon in 2012 before going on to play for Caen. In November 2017, Malbranque he came out of retirement to sign with amateur side MDA Chasselay and in September 2020 Malbranque joined FC Limonest Saint-Didier.
SULLEY MUNTARI
Former Champions League winner Sulley Muntari moved to the SOL on loan in January 2011 for the remainder of the season. His loan spell was largely forgettable, however he did feed the ball to Jordan Henderson for our second that afternoon. Muntari failed to score during his loan spell at Sunderland, he was initially credited with a goal in a 2–1 win over Bolton in May 2011 however the goal was changed to a Zat Knight own goal. Sunderland opted not to sign Muntari on a permanent basis. Muntari went onto play for AC Milan and Pescara before retiring in 2019.
