8 ex-Sunderland footballers that played for England during their time with the Black Cats
Dan Neil was called up to England's U20 squad earlier this week.
By Molly Burke
Published 7th Nov 2021, 14:36 BST
Dan Neil has had a superb start to the campaign since breaking through into Sunderland's first team and many fans have claimed the midfielder will one day be a star in England' s senior team.
Neil - who has six assists in all competitions this season – was part of the England set-up at U15 level before a serious knee injury kept him out of the international picture – until now.
Alongside Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin, Neil will be involved in the squad for their friendly match against Portugal in Leiria on Thursday evening.
Supporters will hope this is the start of a long and successful England career for the 19-year-old and that he can join the likes of Sunderland-born Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford doing an absolutely stellar job for his country.
To celebrate Neil’s inclusion in the squad, we have taken a look back at eight former Sunderland footballers that appeared for the Three Lions during their time on Wearside...
Alongside Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin, Neil will be involved in the squad for their friendly match against Portugal in Leiria on Thursday evening.
5. Darren Bent (2009-10)
Darren Bent made his international debut in 2006 but made three appearances for England during his time with Sunderland, though didn't score an international goal until 2012 - after his switch to Aston Villa. The former striker has a total of 13 caps and scored four goals. Photo: Clive Mason
Gavin McCann made only one appearance for England in his career and it came midway through his time with Sunderland. The former midfielder earned his single cap in a friendly against Spain at Villa Park in 2001. Photo: Clive Brunskill
Micky Gray earned his first cap for England in April 1999, coming on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Hungary. His first start came in a Euro 2000 qualifier against Bulgaria, which turned out to be his final international appearance. Gray has a total of three caps for England - all in 1999. Photo: Ben Radford
Kevin Phillips was the first Sunderland player to play for England since Nick Pickering in 1983. The forward earned all eight England caps during his time with Sunderland, however failed to score for the Three Lions. His debut came in a friendly match against Hungary in April 1999, where he was selected by manager Kevin Keegan. The ex-England boss included Phillips in his Euro 2000 squad, however the striker remained an unused substitute. Photo: Ross Kinnaird