Which players make it into Sunderland’s greatest ever Premier League era starting XI? It’s a big question, and one that we here at The Echo have been asking you over the past few days.
From towering goalkeepers to tough-tackling defenders to red hot centre-forwards, we’ve been running polls asking you to vote on which names are deserving of a nod in the Black Cats’ most impressive top flight team, and you’ve told us in your droves.
With that in mind, and with all numbers properly tallied up, here is Sunderland’s best Premier League XI, as decided by you, the fans...
5. LB: Micky Gray
A Sunderland lad who lived the dream, Gray went on to make more than 350 appearances in red and white, playing his way into the England squad in the process and helping the Black Cats to twice finish seventh. Photo: Graham Chadwick
6. RM: Nicky Summerbee
Massively talented and in possession of a sumptuous delivery, Summerbee shone during his time with Sunderland, and it feels as if appreciation for his quality has only grown in the quarter century or so since he left the club. | Getty Images Photo: Stu Forster
7. CM: Granit Xhaka
The current captain, and the player who has come to symbolise Sunderland's electric start to the new season. He may have only played a handful of matches for the Black Cats, but his class is so undeniable that he won a whopping 72.7% of your vote for the club's best Premier League era midfielder. | Getty Images
8. CM: Stefan Schwarz
Another stellar central midfielder who arrived at the Stadium of Light in the twilight of his career, Schwarz still contributed an awful lot to Peter Reid's precocious side of the early '00s. Maybe the only man in Sunderland's history to have a "space clause" inserted into his contract too, preventing him from leaving the Earth's atmosphere. | Getty Images