'Greatest privilege' - Popular Sunderland defender confirms summer exit in emotional social media post
Dennis Cirkin has confirmed he is to leave the club this summer.
Popular Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has confirmed he is to leave the club this summer in an emotional post on social media in which he said representing the Black Cats was one of the ‘greatest privileges of my life’.
The 24-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur youth joined the club in 2021 back in the League One days and went on to make over a century of appearances for Sunderland as they climbed back to the top tier.
Cirkin made 10 appearances for Sunderland this season in the Premier League, his last appearance the draw away at Wolves in early May. The left-back has endured another frustrating campaign on the injury front but Cirkin remains a hugely popular figure with supporters after playing an important role in the club’s rise from League One to the Premier League.
He joined Sunderland from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 and was part of the side that won promotion from League One under Alex Neil. He then went on to become one of the club’s standout performers in the Championship. Ahead of the retained list being officially announced, Cirkin has confirmed his summer exit.
Posting on his Instagram account alongside a video of his time on Wearside, Cirkin wrote: “Quite the video and caption lol but it’s crazy how quickly time passes, the goodbye that once felt so far away is finally here :/ As a young boy, all I wanted was an opportunity.
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“A chance to play, to prove to myself that I belonged. Sunderland gave me that, and then gave me so much more. Because this was never just about football. This city took me in and made me one of its own. The people here are like nowhere else: proud, loyal, full of heart and so passionate. That spirit gets into you. It changed me. Walking out at the SOL with that crowd behind me is a feeling I’ll chase for the rest of my life.
“The roar, the energy, the way it lifts us, that was always you. On the best days you carried us, and on the hardest days you never once turned your backs. I’ll never forget that. To this city and its people: thank you for taking a chance on me, and for making me feel at home from the very first day.
“Thank you. For the passion, the loyalty, the noise week after week. To represent you, and to wear this badge over 100 times, has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. When I look back, I won’t remember the statistics. I’ll remember the heart and soul of our community. The feeling of a whole city behind one team. What we built back up together. I arrived a boy chasing a dream. I leave carrying this place, and all of you, with me forever :) Signing out <3.”
What has Regis Le Bris previously said about Dennis Cirkin’s future?
Speaking in April, Regis Le Bris made it clear the future was uncertain for Cirkin. Le Bris admitted that Cirkin could leave the club as a free agent at the end of the campaign.
Cirkin performed well on his introduction to the Premier League during AFCON but Trai Hume’s introduction from the bench at Villa Park, the week prior to Le Bris speaking, as a left back reflected Cirkin’s current position in the pecking order.
In April, Le Bris said: “We'll see, it's a bit early to give a specific opinion because we don't know. But at the minute it's clear that we have three strong full-backs. And the competition is high. So it's hard to be the fourth in that situation at the end of his contract. So I don't know because the future is the future and it's important to stay focused on the league. Every game can give new information but at the minute the competition is high, I can say this.
“It might be the end of the story, because for him and for us, we'll have to be really well aligned. So it's a bit early to decide, but it's an option.”
Cirkin has now confirmed his future is elsewhere but he will always be remembered as a very popular and talented member of the Sunderland squad that helped get the club back to the top flight.
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