What happened next? The last Sunderland side to face Bournemouth
Sunderland take on Bournemouth this weekend in the first clash between the two clubs since April 2017.
Sunderland host Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend, looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
The Black Cats fell to a late Raul Jimenez goal at Craven Cottage, slipping down to seventh in the table as a result. However, they still only trail the top four by just two points, and have an eight-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone. Next up is a Bournemouth team level with Sunderland in the table on 19 points. This will be the first meeting between these two sides since the last time Sunderland were a Premier League outfit back in 2017.
Bournemouth won 1-0 at the Stadium of Light that day thanks to a late Joshua King goal, but it’s fair to say a lot has changed since that day, when Sunderland fielded the likes of Jordan Pickford, John O’Shea, Jermain Defoe and Didier Ndong in their line-up - managed by David Moyes. What has happened to that Sunderland side since?
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
- Age: 31
- Current club: Everton
One of the only players from this team to leave with his head held high, Pickford has since established himself as England’s No.1, helping the Three Lions to back-to-back European Championship finals, as well as semi-final and quarter-final appearances at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Pickford has been almost ever-present for Everton since joining them from the Black Cats, and his exploits have been vital to retaining the Toffees’ Premier League status. Despite being criminally underrated, Pickford is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the English top flight.
Now 31 years old, Pickford has 81 caps for England and has made 331 appearances and counting for Everton.
Right-back: Donald Love
- Age: 30
- Current club: Accrington Stanley
Donald Love arrived at Sunderland in January 2016 as a high-potential defender with massive versatility to play across midfield and at centre-back. It never quite worked out for the Scotsman, though.
He remained at the Stadium of Light for a couple of years after their relegation before leaving for Shrewsbury on a free transfer. He’s since also turned out for Salford City, Morecambe and Accrington Stanley - making 63 appearances for the latter, where he’s still a regular.
Centre-back: John O’Shea
- Age: 44
- Current club: Retired
O’Shea was a real stalwart for Sunderland, making 256 appearances for the club across all competitions, including 40 in the season following their relegation, sticking by the club at one of its lowest ebbs.
The Republic of Ireland legend joined Reading on a free transfer in the summer of 2018, but made just 11 appearances for the club before calling time on his career. He’s currently an assistant coach for his national team and recently had a four-game interim spell in charge of the Boys in Green.
Centre-back: Lamine Kone
- Age: 36
- Current club: Retired
Lamine Kone was the poster boy of Sunderland’s downfall to many, suffering back-to-back relegations and often leaving plenty to be desired in terms of commitment to the cause.
The Ivory Coast international - capped nine times for his country - joined Strasbourg on loan in 2018, initially on loan before making the move permanent, and played 75 times for the French club, before representing Lausanne and Le Mans. Kone was recently playing for Swiss amateur side FC Forward-Morges but announced his retirement earlier in 2025.
Left-back: Javier Manquillo
- Age: 31
- Current club: Free agent
There was initially a lot of optimism when Sunderland signed Javier Maquillo; at the time a talented Spanish full-back with Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Marseille on his CV.
To say he didn’t hit the mark during his one-year loan would be an understatement, and Manquillo’s popularity only fell even further when he joined Newcastle United after the Black Cats’ relegation. Manquillo played 110 times across six-and-a-half years with the Magpies before joining Celta Vigo in January 2024. 18 months and just 23 appearances later, Manquillo became a free agent in the summer and remains without a club.
Central midfield: Didier Ndong
- Age: 31
- Current club: Esteghlal FC
Didier Ndong was certainly a talented footballer, but the odd flash aside, Sunderland didn’t see any of that. The Gabonese midfielder was a club-record signing, but utterly failed to show his best at the Stadium of Light and even refused to show up following relegation.
Ndong left for Watford on loan in January 2018 but never made a single appearance for the Hornets, before turning out for Guingamp, Dijon, Malatyaspor and Al-Riyadh. Still only 31, Ndong now plays for Esteghlal FC in the Persian Gulf League and has made 54 appearances for the club, winning the Iranian Cup in May.
Central midfield: Steven Pienaar
- Age: 43
- Current club: Retired
Moyes signing a familiar face in Steven Pienaar made a lot of sense, and if he’d recreated the excellent form from his Everton days, Sunderland would have stood a much better chance of staying up.
However, the creative midfielder was way past his best by the time he arrived at Sunderland and after just 17 appearances, he left when Sunderland were relegated, returning to South Africa with Bidvest Wits FC. An 11-game swansong later, Pienaar retired in 2018. He’s now a youth coach with Sharjah in the UAE.
Right wing: Wahbi Khazri
- Age: 34
- Current club: Free agent
A talented player who showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately failed to hit the mark, Khazri was loaned to Rennes following Sunderland’s relegation, having made 42 appearances for the club, registering just three goals and two assists.
Khazri rediscovered himself in France and became a regular source of goals for Rennes (11 in 29 appearances) and St-Etienne (37 in 114 appearances), whom he joined permanently in 2018. The 74-time Tunisia international was most recently with Montpellier but was released after their relegation from Ligue 1 last season. He’s been a free agent since.
Left wing: Fabio Borini
- Age: 34
- Current club: Salford City
Borini showed plenty of promise in his first season at Sunderland, hitting five goals and two assists in 26 Premier League appearances, but managed just two goals in their relegation year.
From there, the Italian went on an interesting tour of Europe, making a shock big move to AC Milan, before playing for Cesena, Fatih Karagumruk and Sampdoria. Just last month, the 34-year-old made a surprise return to England, signing for Salford City in League Two on a free transfer. He’s yet to score or assist in five appearances for the club.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Striker: Jermain Defoe
- Age: 43
- Current club: Retired
Only Kevin Phillips (61) has scored more Premier League goals for Sunderland than Jermain Defoe, with 15 of his 34 coming in this relegation season. Absolutely nobody can blame him for the Black Cats’ demise, while his relationship with Bradley Lowery will forever keep him in the hearts of supporters.
The former England international went on to enjoy positive spells with Bournemouth and Rangers following relegation, winning a Scottish title with the latter under Steven Gerrard’s management. The former England international then returned to Sunderland for seven more unsuccessful games in League One during the 2021/22 campaign before retiring.
Striker: Victor Anichebe
- Age: 37
- Current club: Retired
This campaign was Victor Anichebe’s swansong in England. After managing just three goals in 19 Sunderland appearances, he left for Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises, abruptly retiring after only 10 games and two goals. Nowadays, the former Everton man works as a strategic advisor on sport and youth development.
Substitute: George Honeyman
- Age: 31
- Current club: Blackpool
Moyes only made one change during this match, introducing George Honeyman in place of Pienaar to freshen up the midfield. The academy product stuck with Sunderland all the way down to League One, before joining Hull City in 2019. He’s also turned out for Millwall and Blackpool, joining the latter in the summer and making 13 appearances so far.