Eagle-eyed Sunderland supporters spot comment from Liverpool star that fans will LOVE

Ball’s departure has ushered in a wave of support and love from Black Cats supporters who have fond memories of his three decade stint on Wearside.

After playing a pivotal role as a player, Ball returned to the club and held a variety of roles behind the scenes, including a role in the club’s academy, helping to develop players like Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson.

And as the tributes poured in, eagle-eyed supporters were quick to spot a comment from Henderson on Instagram that described Ball as a ‘Legend’ with a heart emoji.

After impressing in the academy, under the watchful eye of Ball, Henderson made his first-team debut in November 2008, playing 45 minutes in a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, fortunately, his career has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Former Black Cats John O’Shea and Anton Ferdinand also shared these sentiments with O’Shea writing ‘What a man. Enjoy a break Bally’, whilst Ferdinand described Ball as a ‘great guy’.

However, although fans and ex-players alike have paid tributes to Ball, former player Craig Russell took to Twitter to highlight the fact that players responsible for ‘years of service’ to the club have now disappeared from their roles:

‘Myself, Cookie, now Bally. Some years of service to the club gone. I hope Samson is hiding away in his basket’.

In a statement released earlier today, Sunderland thanked Ball for his ‘immense contribution’ to the club, saying he ‘embodied the spirit’ of Sunderland:

“Kevin is a Sunderland AFC legend in the truest sense of the word and he will always be welcome at the Stadium of Light,” he said.

"As a player, coach and ambassador, he has embodied the spirit of Sunderland and set an example to all of those around him, including players and staff. We thank him for his immense contribution and wish him well for the future.

The statement concluded: "All at SAFC place on record their gratitude to Kevin for his leadership and friendship and we wish him and his family the very best for the future.”

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