Kevin Ball on Sunderland's special fanbase and the key role they played after he swapped Portsmouth for Wearside

Ball’s name is, of course, now legendary in the North East with the 55-year-old having fulfilled practically every role possible at the Academy of Light since he arrived at the club in 1990.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the all-action midfielder.

Having joined the Black Cats from Portsmouth, Ball endured a tough start to life on Wearside - with his now infamous tale of an encounter in a takeaway proving the catalyst for a turnaround in form.

That was one of his first encounters with the Sunderland faithful, and one which ultimately helped to define his time in the North East.

“I still maintain, whoever told me I was c**p in the Chinese at Willington five or six weeks after I came here - and he said words that were slightly worse than that - it did hit home,” said Ball.

“It was tough at the time. I was travelling up from the south at the time, five or six hours each time, so it was tough.

“But I hadn’t done well, so I probably deserved that little kick up the backside. I’m glad he told me that, because I remember thinking that nobody was ever going to say that to me again.”

Ball credits much of his transformation to the impact of the club’s supporters - and in particular one branch who welcomed him and a host of other players to the region with open arms.

“The thing I lived off the most and thrived off the most was the passion of the supporters,” said Ball, speaking to the Echo as he was inducted into the club’s hall of fame earlier this year.

“I was very fortunate to meet some very passionate people in different branches early on, and it was the South Shields branch who I met quite early on and they treated me and looked after me extremely well.

“As players we’d go over there, we’d have a cracking night and became good friends with a lot of them.

“They made us understand the passion of the fans and ultimately, the fans are what makes this club.”

Ball is better placed than most to offer advice to the next crop of aspiring Sunderland stars, given he has spent over three decades with the club, and has one simple piece of advice for any players looking to follow in his footsteps.

Respect the fans, and they will respect you.

“There’s no two ways about it. If you want to come and be part of the history and fabric of this football club then you’ve got to earn their respect.

“Over my time at the club, I think I’ve done that. It’s definitely the fans that make this club.”