The 17 highly-rated Sunderland academy graduates now shining outside the Premier League
Sunderland’s academy has long been renowned for producing some talented players - with Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson the most notable recent examples.
By Mark Donnelly
Published 2nd Aug 2020, 10:00 BST
Updated 2nd Aug 2020, 10:07 BST
But a glance outside the Premier League shows a host of players who spent their formative years at the Academy of Light - showing how the Black Cats’ impact stretches throughout the footballing pyramid.
Earlier this week, the Echo ran a series of articles investigating the current state of the Black Cats’ famed academy. You can read each part by clicking below:
Here, we cast an eye over 17 highly-rated players who progressed through the Sunderland youth system and now play elsewhere. How many can you remember?
A loan spell at Carlisle United - where he developed a knack for scoring crucial goals from the bench - saw Cook to shoot to prominence. He left Sunderland in 2012 for Charlton and, after spells with Walsall, Luton Town and Grimsby, is now a free agent. Photo: Pete Norton
Carson never made a senior appearance for Sunderland - although he did make the bench as understudy to Ben Alnwick - but has gone on to forge a fine career with Motherwell. He’s also a regular in the Northern Ireland senior squad. Photo: Pete Norton
A man who needs no introduction. Honeyman captained the Black Cats during the 2018/19 season before joining Hull City - where has featured regularly throughout the term. Photo: Ashley Allen
Once highly-rated at the Academy of Light, the Spanish midfielder left in 2014 in search of regular football. He spent time in Australia, Portugal, Romania and Scotland before signing for Oxford United in the summer of 2019. Photo: Richard Heathcote