Nicklas Bendtner sends classy message to Sunderland fans and admits Netflix series affected him
Former Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner has opened up on his affection for the club ahead of his Stadium of Light return
Nicklas Bendtner says Sunderland are “where they belong” after sealing their return to the Premier League, as the former Black Cats striker prepares for an emotional Stadium of Light comeback.
Bendtner is set to return to Wearside for the Ronaldinho and Friends match, where he will be reunited with several familiar faces from his time at Sunderland. The Denmark international spent the 2011-12 season on loan at the club from Arsenal and finished as Sunderland’s top Premier League scorer that campaign with eight goals.
His spell included several memorable moments, from a goal and assist on debut against Chelsea to a penalty in the Tyne-Wear derby at Newcastle United, as well as important goals against Liverpool, Queens Park Rangers and Manchester City.
Speaking to The Echo ahead of his return, Bendtner said: “I had a great time there and very much looking forward to coming back and meeting with some of the former players and seeing the fans again and just enjoying that great, great stadium.”
Bendtner is also looking forward to being reunited with former Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole, who played alongside him during his season on Wearside. “No, I mean, in football you learn anything can happen,” Bendtner said, when asked whether he ever expected to play alongside Cattermole again. “So obviously it’s just one of those. But I’m very pleased getting to see him again. And I think Phil Bardsley is there as well, right? Who I also played with and had a good time. So that’ll be a lot of fun to see them again.”
Bendtner’s Sunderland spell came during a memorable Premier League season under Steve Bruce and later Martin O’Neill. He joined on loan on the final day of the August 2011 transfer window and made an immediate impact, assisting against Chelsea on his debut before scoring his first goal for the club against West Bromwich Albion.
He went on to score key goals against Bolton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Manchester City, finishing the campaign as Sunderland’s top league scorer. The former Arsenal and Juventus striker has continued to keep an eye on Sunderland from afar and says he has watched plenty of the club since their return to the Premier League.
“I mean, they’re where they belong now,” Bendtner said. “It’s such a big club. I was even watching the documentary Sunderland Til I Die. It was one of the first ones I was watching. So obviously, I had a lot of feelings watching that too, because being part of that whole team.
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“And yeah, I have been seeing them obviously getting back into the Prem. I must admit, I didn’t watch a lot of non-Premier League games with them. But I’ve been watching a lot of the games, let’s say maybe about 15, 20 games this season. And they’ve been doing really, really well. And it’s amazing what steps they’ve been taking to get back into the Prem and also to stay there now.”
Sunderland’s journey since Bendtner’s time at the club has been a dramatic one, with the Black Cats suffering back-to-back relegations before eventually rebuilding and returning to the top flight. Asked about watching Sunderland’s fall into League One and the difficult period covered in Sunderland Til I Die, Bendtner said the hardest part was seeing a club he still felt connected to going through such a difficult time.
“Well, obviously, that’s not something I think so much about,” he said. “For me, it’s just the passion and being at the club. What happens behind the scenes and what happens on a much higher level with the board and stuff is not something I really think too much about.
“For me, it’s just more like seeing a club that you have been with going through so hard phases, which happens in football, affects you on a personal level. Obviously, you want your team to do well once you’ve been there. But then obviously, seeing them rise again has been fantastic.”
Bendtner retired from playing in 2021 after a career that included spells with Arsenal, Sunderland, Juventus, Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Rosenborg and FC Copenhagen. He has since remained involved in football through media work and has also completed his coaching qualifications.
“I did my coaching badges and I do a podcast now, a football podcast, which is very popular in Denmark,” Bendtner said. “And then I do the national team as a pundit and I really, really enjoy that. And hopefully in the future I can get to do that in England too.”
Bendtner’s return to the Stadium of Light is likely to be warmly received by Sunderland supporters, many of whom still remember his productive loan spell and his derby goal at St James’ Park. More than a decade on, the former Black Cats forward is looking forward to experiencing Wearside again - this time as part of a star-studded charity match rather than a Premier League fixture.
Sunderland owners Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, along with director of football Florent Ghisolfi, are also set to be involved in Monday’s special event at the Stadium of Light. The Wearside Legends Game takes place on May 25, just 24 hours after the Black Cats bring their Premier League campaign to a close against Chelsea. The full confirmed squad lists are below: