Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week or so (or if you are fortunate enough to not have an active X account) you will be acutely aware of the current trend that is sweeping timelines across the country. Accompanied by the hashtag “#Barclaysmen”, nostalgic fans are pulling together compilation videos of their favourite forgotten Premier League footballers from yesteryear, sound-tracked by indie dancefloor bangers from the mid-noughties; Tugay crashing home thunderous volleys to Maximo Park; Lomana Lua Lua backflipping to Two Door Cinema Club; the entire Wigan Athletic squad doing their thing to Franz Ferdinand.
It is, in other words, a wonderful and daft tsunami of nurturing reminiscence, and it also got us thinking about which players may justifiably be considered Sunderland’s finest so-called Barclaysmen. We turned to social media to put the question to Black Cats everywhere, and they got back to us in their droves.
Now, for the avoidance of doubt, the period in question here is 2004-2016, the dozen or so years when the Premier League was title-sponsored by Barclays and Barclays alone. The internet has seemingly deemed that the “Barclaycard” years of 2001 to 2004 do not count.
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As such, you will find no Kevin Phillips or Niall Quinn here, no Tommy Sorensen or Stefan Schwarz. What you will find, however, is a list jam-packed with cult heroes and mercurial idols. With that in mind, put your feet up, find an appropriately guitar-driven Spotify playlist to spin in the background, and prepare to take a trip down memory lane. Here are the 26 finest Sunderland players of the Barclays Premier League era, as chosen by fans...
17. Kenwyne Jones
Another iconic Sunderland striker from the Barclays era, a large part of Jones' charm lay in that stunning acrobatic celebration of his. Twenty-eight goals in 101 appearances didn't hurt either. Photo: Laurence Griffiths
18. Jermain Defoe
Defoe may have only joined Sunderland at the back end of the Barclays era, but there is no denying how unbelievably influential he was during his stint on Wearside. One of the best goalscorers the club have had since the turn of the millennium, and a great off-field presence too. | se
19. Fabio Borini
Perhaps a man of moments more than consistency, the Italian still provided Sunderland supporters with plenty of cherished memories during his five years on the books at the Stadium of Light. Photo: Mike Hewitt
20. Lamine Kone
Endured quite the fall-off, but there was a time when Kone was magnificent. Signed in the January of 2016, his two goals against Everton to relegate Newcastle United are fondly remembered on Wearside. Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos