Where are they now? Jack Ross' final starting XI as Sunderland manager before sacking - gallery

Where does the time go? It has been exactly five years, to the day, since Sunderland parted company with former manager Jack Ross - a figure who came agonisingly close to winning promotion for the Black Cats, and who will likely be remembered at the Stadium of Light for his penchant for 1-1 draws more than anything else.

Ross departed Wearside with Sunderland sixth in the League One table, and having recorded a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Lincoln City in his final match in the North East. At the time, club chairman Stewart Donald said: “This is a decision that has been made with a heavy heart. When we arrived at the club 18 months ago, we appointed Jack because we felt that he was the right man to take Sunderland forward over a number of years.

“Jack has worked extremely hard, and has helped us achieve stability at the club, and I sincerely thank him for his efforts. I hope and believe that he will go on to have a successful career in management.”

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Evidently, an awful lot has changed since then. Sunderland are now a Championship club once more - and one with serious promotion ambitions - while there has been an overhaul of things in the boardroom too. But as the half-decade anniversary of the Scot’s departure rolls around, we’ve taken a closer look at where the players who made up his match day squad on October 5th 2019 - three days before he was let go - are now. Check out the gallery below...