Sunderland AFC news: Luke O'Nien opens up on mental health battles and social media criticism

The 28-year-old is looking to improve what he sees as the lack of psychological support in academy football. Along with Rob Blackburne, his mentor and host of the Footballers' Mindset Podcast, the Sunderland man is offering seminars, audiobooks and expertise focusing on the mental needs of young players.

In the interview with Sky Sports, O’Nien goes into detail regarding the mental challenges of the game during his time at Sunderland and talks about his debut for the club against Charlton Athletic at the Stadium of Light in League One back in 2018.

"I was a jigsaw made of many pieces to this point but didn't know how to piece it together,” O’Nien told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview. “But it was clear I had been missing a key part when my Sunderland career started negatively and there soon followed a bit of an identity crisis.

"I was trying to understand why I suddenly had no confidence, why I felt like I didn't belong. I had gone from Wycombe to Sunderland, which was a big step up. I made a few mistakes in front of 35,000 people and had been taken off on my debut after 45 minutes live on Sky. Not the dream start I hoped for.

"It really hit me hard for months. I had articles and negative social media coming out about me left, right and centre. There was talk of shipping me out in the January transfer window. Every person told me that if you do well here at Sunderland, you will have the best years of your life but I was far, far away from meeting those expectations. It was killing me. I felt like an imposter. I could not find a rhythm.”

O’Nien will be available for Sunderland’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against Fulham at the Stadium of Light after serving a suspension following a red card against Swansea. You can read more about Luke O’Nien’s thoughts on the psychological side of football by following this link.