Phil Smith: Sunderland gears up for a historic night most fans thought they'd never get to see

At what point will it all sink in?

Maybe it will be the pre-match pint, or on the wander past TNT Sport's new mural. Maybe it will be walking over Keel Crossing, or when the Europa League branding first comes into view. Maybe it will be hearing the competition anthem for the first time as the two teams shake hands, or when a Wise Men Say for the ages rings round the Stadium of Light. Maybe it won't sink in until the whistle blows and the ball is kicked, but sink in it will. The day that generations of Sunderland fans have waited a lifetime for, and that most had come to believe they would never see, is here. 53 years on from their last European clash against Sporting CP they are back.

Sunderland enter the competition in a curious position, as outsiders with limited experience but far from underdogs. While the Black Cats might not have played at this level for decades, they will enter the Europa League with one of the biggest budgets in the competition as a result of the Premier League's financial dominance. They also boast a squad full of players with significant European experience and just as the dressing room pushed for that seventh-placed finish last season when common consensus was that survival meant job done, you can be sure that they are viewing this competition as a genuine shot at glory.

Though their status as early Eredivisie leaders and a Pot 1 side mean AZ Alkmaar represent tricky opening opponents not to be underestimated, the draw has broadly been kind to Sunderland and so they should be targeting a run to the knockout stages at the very least. As Granit Xhaka said on the Stadium of Light turf when qualification had just been secured: This is just the beginning.

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Even so, this first night will not really be about the result for fans at least. It will be about the feeling of pride that Sunderland is able to show its revival off the world, vindication that all angst and all that frustration during the long exile in League One was all worth it. Vindication for keeping the faith when all logic seemed to suggest that nights like these might forever be out of reach. 

It will be a night of high emotion, too, when all who make their way to the Stadium of Light remember those no longer with us to revel in this historic moment for club, city and community.

AZ Alkmaar's visit is a significant moment in Sunderland's footballing project, one that they fully intend to normalise and make regular in the years ahead. Its significance to Sunderland itself, though, is even greater. The last few years have marked its return as a genuine footballing force, at a time of profound change and regeneration in the city. Wednesday night will be a celebration of that progress, and the dawn of a new era. The night most thought they'd never get to experience, and the beginning of a thrilling journey. 

Your next Sunderland read: Sunderland issue important message to supporters ahead of historic AZ Alkmaar visit