Luke O’Nien continues to be important on and off the field for Sunderland in the Championship

Dennis Cirkin has thanked Luke O’Nien for his support during an injury-hit 2023-24 season.

The former Tottenham man made just eight appearances in the Championship last season for Sunderland after suffering several injuries which sidelined the full-back for most of the campaign under Tony Mowbray, Michael Beale, and then Mike Dodds.

The 22-year-old is now back to full fitness and has started every one of new head coach Régis Le Bris’ league games since the Frenchman took charge last summer. Cirkin netted a tremendous goal last time out against Coventry City and was quick to thank club captain O’Nien for his emotional support after last season’s injury woes.

“I think you just find a way to cope,” Cirkin said when asked about his struggles with injury during the 2023-24 season. “Especially because for me, I'm young, so I won't have any answers. I think I just learned as I went, going through highs, lows, different ways of learning

“I have very good people around me. I just want to give a big shout-out to Luke, a really good man. It goes so under the radar how much of an effect he has on the team, on the individuals, on everyone around the club. He's a big character in the dressing room helping everyone out.”

When further asked about Sunderland’s club captain, Cirkin also joked that O’Nien had been questioning the Special Air Service after their recent visit to the Academy of Light. “I'm sure you can ask the SAS guys yesterday,” Cirkin joked. “They came in. I think he kept them for about a few hours.”

“On a personal level, sometimes I think about it and it's just surreal to me,” Cirkin added regarding his injury issues during the 2023-24 season. “Going a whole season with three recurring injuries was a dark time and then looking at this season, I'm doing my best to keep fit.

“At the end of the day, I'm just enjoying it and that's the most important thing, I think, is just to enjoy it with the ups, the downs, the challenges. I think I thrive off the pressure, off the challenges,” Cirkin concluded following the Coventry City game.