Carl Winchester recalls Sunderland moment which left him devastated as midfielder assesses next move

Carl Winchester says he was devastated to miss last year’s League One play-off final with an injury but is buzzing to see Sunderland back in the Championship.

The 30-year-old played a big part in the Black Cats’ promotion campaign but was forced off in a 5-1 win over Cambridge, meaning he was unavailable for the play-offs, including the win over Wycombe at Wembley.

"It was a groin injury, and I went and got a scan and it showed a tear,” Winchester, who is set to leave Sunderland this summer, told the SAFC Unfiltered podcast.

"That meant my season was completely done, even though there was only a short period left and the play-offs, and I was devastated.

“I knew as soon as I’d done it that something wasn’t right, because usually if I get a niggle or a bang or a whack then I can usually just take it and play on but that time I knew I couldn’t do that.

"At the end of the day, there was nothing I could do about it and I just had to get my head right and get back for the next season. I was gutted. I sat embracing the atmosphere and looking around thinking ‘wow, I wish I could play in this, it would just be unbelievable’.

"At the end of the day, though, I was just happy the lads got the job done. I had faith in them, they were a great group of players and they gelled well together.

"I just knew that if we were on our game we would go on and win the play-offs. I was happy for everyone involved with the club - fans, manager, staff, players.

"Sunderland is a club that didn’t deserve to be in League One, and now they are on the up I am just buzzing to see it."

After returning in pre-season, Winchester was then loaned out to Shrewsbury to gain more regular game time last summer.

When asked about the move, he replied: "I probably wouldn’t have played as much as I would have liked, which was understandable because of the calibre of players they brought into the club and how well they did.

On Shrewsbury, he added: "It was good, they’re a good group of lads, and I really enjoyed my time there. They had a small squad and a couple of injuries as well.

"I think if everyone had been fit and we’d added one or two we might have had a push - I’m not saying at the play-offs, but probably between eighth and tenth. The lads and the staff there were brilliant with me, so I can’t complain much."

With his Sunderland contract set to expire, Winchester will be a free agent this summer and is unsure where his next move will be.

"That’s the thing with football, you just don’t know where you are going to be,” he said.

"I’m a free agent now and there are one or two things - nothing concrete, but it’s still early days."