The story of an incredible Sunderland injury comeback that no one saw coming - at least not yet

Tony Mowbay had spoken previously about the full back potentially being part of the group of players back fit and pushing for selection after the World Cup break, but even then had stressed that there were no guarantees after such a long absence.

Huggins had only returned to training with the senior group earlier this week, and even that was just after completing 90 minutes for the U21s on Monday.

It was only the second time the Welshman had managed that, having played a key role in rescuing a point at St James' Park a week previous.

By the time the trip to St Andrews came around it had been well over a year since Huggins had played his last game of senior football, in which he had thrived in a 5-0 win over Cheltenham Town even as the pain from what would subsequently be revealed as a stress fracture of the back eventually became too great.

The road back became ever-more complicated over the course of the year that followed and the word from the club had been that it would be a slow and steady return.

And then the availability issues for Mowbray just continued to pile up. Aji Alese already injured, Luke O'Nien suspended. Then, in training in midweek a calf injury to Dennis Cirkin that left the Black Cats without a recognised left-sided defender in the squad.

Huggins was tasked not just with starting the game but against one of the most powerful sides in the division, and on home turf, too.

There were stages in an understandably challenging first half where it seemed unlikely that he would complete 90 minutes but he did, playing a crucial role in the late defence of the box that secured three vital points before the World Cup break.

"All the lads have been cheering him in the dressing room, they are so pleased for him because he's such a great kid," Mowbray said afterwards.

"He was always going to come on this trip but he'd only just started training with us, it had only been a day.

"Then Dennis Cirkin gets injured and we had to bang our heads together and work out who was going to play on the left of our defence. The lads said that Niall could play there, that'd he'd done it for half a season when he was at Leeds. I had a chat with him and that's what we decided to do.

"I said to him that he would probably have to come off after 60 or 70 minutes and you saw that he cramped up right at the end there, but everyone is so happy for him in there.

"He did amazingly well really, he looks a solid footballer and really athletic."

Huggins' versatility will be a major asset for Mowbray moving forward, the challenge now to build on a comeback that no one saw coming, at least not at this stage, over a potentially hugely beneficial three-week break.