How Sunderland loanees Will Grigg, Jack Diamond, Stephen Wearne and Patrick Almond are doing at Rotherham, Harrogate, Torquay and Blyth

It has been an interesting season, to say the least, with Lee Johnson starting the season as head coach before his sacking in January.

Jermain Defoe then signed amidst rumours Roy Keane could also return to the club, but Alex Neil was the man who eventually took over at the Academy of Light.

Since then, there has been drama regarding the ownership structure at Sunderland after it was revealed that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus did not own the majority of shares with Charlie Methven and Stewart Donald retaining part-ownership of the club.

Amongst all of the madness several players have also found themselves sent out on loan to gain game time this season.

Here, we take a look at how they are getting on away from Wearside:

Will Grigg

After finding the net for Sunderland against Hull City in a pre-season friendly at the Stadium of Light, Will Grigg was loaned to promotion rivals Rotherham United.

Since then, the 30-year-old Northern Ireland international has played 27 times for the Millers, starting 13 League One games for the club.

Grigg has managed to net six goals and bag an assist.

However, the player is currently on the sidelines through a hamstring injury and won’t feature again this season.

Grigg’s contract at Sunderland is up at the end of the season but Millers’ boss Paul Warne is keen to keep him at the New York Stadium beyond the current campaign despite his injury woes.

“I’ll definitely speak to him,” Warne told to the Sunderland Echo’s sister paper, the Sheffield Star.

“Just because he’s injured now doesn’t mean there’s a long-term problem. He’ll come back from it. It’s not like he’s 38 or something.

“I really like Griggy. Whatever league we’re in, I think the club should try to keep him. He ‘gets’ the club, he gets what we’re about.”

Jack Diamond

It has been a bit of a crazy season for Jack Diamond.

The tricky winger returned to League Two side Harrogate Town on loan last August.

Diamond was recalled by Sunderland in January with the Black Cats dealing with a Covid outbreak at the club.

However, later that month he returned to Harrogate for the rest of the season having made a handful of appearances for Sunderland

The 22-year-old Gateshead-born academy graduate’s stats for Town make for impressive reading.

Diamond has made 36 appearances in all competitions and has netted 10 goals.

In League One, Diamond has assisted nine times for Harrogate.

Stephen Wearne and Patrick Almond

Stephen Wearne made his professional debut for Sunderland the season in the 2-1 Papa John’s Trophy win over Lincoln City last October.

In January, however, Wearne joined Torquay United – managed by Lee Johnson’s dad, Gary Johnson – on loan for the remainder of the season.

Wearne has played 11 times (averaging 83 minutes per match) for the National League club and has scored one goal with the player typically playing at left-wing-back.

Like Wearne, Defender Patrick Almond has also made 11 appearances whilst out on loan at National League North club Blyth Spartans.

Almond is currently averaging 90 minutes per match.

Torquay and Blyth are 11th and 19th in their respective divisions.

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