Revealed! Sunderland fan verdict on flop Jack Rodwell and how they want saga resolved

Rodwell, the club’s highest earner, barely featured with the midfielder picking up his £70,000 a week wages for just 159 first team minutes.

In January, Sunderland were willing to cut their losses and grant wantaway Rodwell a free transfer - but without a pay-off.

He was offered the chance to leave in January but rejected the move and hasn’t been seen in a red and white shirt since the Under-23s’ game against Exeter City on February 11.

The 27-year-old, who also struggled with injuries, ended the campaign as an outcast having fallen out of favour under Chris Coleman.

Rodwell still has a year left on his contract and his 40 per cent pay cut comes in this summer, his cut was deferred unless Sunderland bounced straight back to the top flight.

His £40,000 wage will prove a major hindrance to Sunderland in League One.

His chances of being sold appear slim so a settlement may have to be reached with regards the final year of his contract.

As part of our annual end of season Sunderland AFC survey, we asked fans who the biggest disappointment had been.

Rodwell topped the poll with 65.5 per cent share of the vote. Lee Camp was second with 8.5 per cent and Lee Cattermole third with 8.3 per cent.

We asked fans what Sunderland should try and do with Rodwell; 43.8 per cent wanted the club to try and sell him, 23.4 per cent favoured paying up his contract and releasing him on a free, 18.4 per cent backed sending him out on loan with just 14.4 per cent in favour of him seeing out his contract training with the Under-23s.

In terms of the best signing, there was a clear winner; Aiden McGeady, signed for just £250,000 last summer, scored seven goals in 37 appearances.

He won more than half the vote (55.4%). Liverpool loanee Ovie Ejaria was second with 20.2 per cent.

Sunderland fans voted academy product George Honeyman player of the year, the 23-year-old winning exactly half the vote. Paddy McNair second with 32 per cent.

Regarding the young player fans would like to see more of next season, Swedish teenager Joel Asoro picked up 30.5 per cent of the vote.

Lynden Gooch second (18.6 per cent) and Ethan Robson third (13.8 per cent).

We also asked Sunderland fans whether they agreed with the club’s decision, with attendances falling following relegation from the Premier League, to close the Premier Concourse for 2018-19.

An overwhelming 76 per cent agreed that was the right course of action to take.