10 players who played for Sunderland and West Ham - including two current Black Cats stars
We've taken a look at 10 high-profile players to turn out for both Sunderland and West Ham ahead of this weekend's clash.
Sunderland travel to West Ham United on Saturday looking to win back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since mid-October.
The Black Cats beat Crystal Palace at the weekend to end a five-game winless streak in the Premier League, now sitting ninth in the table and just three points off the top four. Saturday sees them face a struggling West Ham side, who received a huge confidence boost by beating Tottenham 2-1 last time. These are two sides that have been intimately familiar with each other over the years, even down to a host of key players turning out for both clubs.
That includes a couple of players in Regis Le Bris’ current squad. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at 10 players who have played for both Sunderland and West Ham.
1. Arthur Masuaku
Starting among the players currently at Sunderland, Masuaku signed for the Black Cats from Besiktas in the summer, but before the Turkish giants, he was a West Ham player. The DR Congo international played 128 times across all competitions for the Hammers between 2016 and 2022, leaving a season before West Ham’s Uefa Conference League triumph.
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Masuaku returned to England in the summer following Sunderland’s promotion, but has so far played second fiddle to Reinildo at left-back, making just four appearances across all competitions.
2. Jermain Defoe
Undoubtedly the player to enjoy the most success at both clubs, Jermain Defoe is 10th on the Premier League’s all-time goalscorer list, netting 52 of his 162 strikes for Sunderland and West Ham combined.
Defoe started his career at West Ham, but made a controversial move to Tottenham Hotspur midway through the 2003/04 season, after the Hammers’ relegation the season prior. The striker went on to enjoy great success with Spurs across multiple spells, as well as winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth.
Defoe returned to England with Sunderland after a short but productive spell in MLS with Toronto FC, and netted 37 goals for the Black Cats across all competitions. The 57-time England international twice helped the Mackems avoid relegation, and even managed 15 Premier League goals the season they went down, while his relationship with the late Bradley Lowery only further sealed his place in the hearts of supporters.
After playing for Bournemouth and winning a league title with Rangers, Defoe returned to the Stadium of Light for one final spell during the 2021/22 campaign, but failed to score in seven League One appearances.
3. Stewart Downing
It’s often forgotten that Stewart Downing spent seven games on loan at Sunderland during the 2003/04 season, when the Black Cats were in the second tier and Middlesbrough were still a Premier League outfit. But he did so to good effect, scoring three goals, before going on to become a key player for Boro.
Downing went on to make big moves to Aston Villa and Liverpool, and after struggling at the latter, ended up at West Ham between 2013 and 2015 before returning to the Riverside Stadium.
4. George McCartney
George McCartney emerged from the Sunderland youth system in 2000 and made 157 appearances for the club across the top two divisions of English football, before joining West Ham in the summer of 2006. The 34-time Northern Ireland international - a solid and dependable left-back - returned to Sunderland for another 46 games in 2009, before going back to West Ham in 2011, initially on loan, before signing permanently and ending his career in East London. Aside from four combined spells on Wearside and at West Ham, McCartney played 32 times on loan at Leeds United during the 2010/11 campaign.
5. Andy Melville
Andy Melville converted to a midfielder toward the end of his career, including at West Ham, where he played 18 times before ending his career at Nottingham Forest. But for Sunderland, he was a solid centre-back, making over 200 appearances between 1993 and 1999, helping the Black Cats win the First Division and gain promotion to the Premier League in 1999.
6. Anton Ferdinand
Anton Ferdinand was forever in Rio’s shadow, but he still carved out a solid career for himself that included 163 games with West Ham after following his brother through their youth system, before a 95-game stint with Sunderland. Ferdinand played for the Black Cats between 2008 and 2011 before joining QPR, helping them finish 16th, 13th and 10th in the Premier League.
7. Don Hutchison
Don Hutchison is one of a rare group of players to play for both Liverpool and Everton, but between his Merseyside stints, he was a West Ham player. The Scotland international registered 13 goals and two assists in 38 appearances for the Hammers before joining Sheffield United, then Everton.
Hutchison’s best years were probably at Goodison Park, where he spent two years before joining Sunderland in 2000. His one full year with the Black Cats yielded a respectable eight goals in 31 Premier League outings, before Hutchison returned to West Ham in 2001 for another 70-game, four-goal stint.
8. Gary Breen
Gary Breen joined Sunderland in 2003 and was a key player in their 2005 Championship-winning side. However, he was also tainted with 35 Premier League appearances a season later for the Black Cats side that finished bottom with a then-record low 15 points and just three wins. Breen - who was signed by Sunderland from West Ham - then left for Wolves the following summer.
9. Aji Alese
Another player in Le Bris’ current squad, Aji Alese was a product of the West Ham youth system, but only made two senior cup appearances for the club before joining Sunderland in 2022.
Alese has played 46 times for the Black Cats, but has fallen down the pecking order over the past couple of years and hasn’t made a single appearance since their promotion back to the Premier League. He’ll surely leave the club in the near future.
10. David Connolly
David Connolly was the ultimate journeyman striker, playing for 12 different clubs in 20 years, alongside 41 caps for the Republic of Ireland. Connolly scored 14 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions for West Ham during the 2003/04 campaign when they were in the second tier, while he managed 13 goals and eight assists during Sunderland’s 2006/07 promotion campaign. He fell out of favour in the top flight and quickly moved on to Southampton.
Honourable mentions: Wayne Bridge, Danny Collins, Pierre Ekwah, George Dobson, Matthew Kilgallon, David Bellion, Ashley Fletcher, Tal Ben Haim.