Sunderland make their return to the Premier League international cup when they face Athletic Bilbao at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday evening.
It marks a proud moment for the club’s academy, which has rebuilt steadily from the challenges it faced as a result of Sunderland’s back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One. It’s also a huge reward and opportunity for the players who performed so impressively in reaching the Premier League 2 play-off final last season.
It’s Sunderland’s first appearance in the competition since 2017, when they made it all the way to the final. There they were beaten 5-0 at the Stadium of Light by a quite outstanding Porto side, but making it that far was a superb achievement and the strength of the group was reflected in the careers they’ve been able to forge since. Here, we catch up with what came next for the 14 players who featured in that game and where they are now.
1. Max Stryjek
Stryjek opted to leave the club in 2019 despite being offered a new deal, with the youngster deciding he was best off playing regular senior football. He joined Eastleigh, where he had thrived on loan the previous campaign. Since then he's had successful spells at Livingston and Wycombe Wanderers, before making the switch to join to Polish champions Jagiellonia Bialystok this summer. Has recently made his Europa League debut. | Getty Images
2. Josh Robson
After a loan spell in Norway towards the end of his time at Sunderland, Robson returned to the country where he played for a number of years. Returned to the north east recently and now plays for Morpeth Town following a spell at Blyth Spartans. Photo: George Davidson
3. Donald Love
Love was a member of the first-team squad who dropped down to play in this game having joined from Manchester United alongside Paddy McNair at the start of the campaign. Featured sporadically as Sunderland dropped into League One and thereafter, but never really held down a place. Joined Salford following his departure and joined Accrington Stanley this summer after playing regularly across two years at Morecambe. Photo: Naomi Baker
4. Denver Hume
Would break into the side a couple of years down the line with the team in League One, before really bursting through as an attacking wing-back in Phil Parkinson's 3-4-3. Injuries checked his progress and the form of Dennis Cirkin saw him sold for a six-figure fee to then divisional rivals Portsmouth. Just didn't happen for him there with injuries again an issue, and is now playing for League Two side Grimsby. Photo: Stu Forster