Wes Brown opens up on watching Sunderland's demise - and has this message for potential new owners

Brown and former teammate John O’Shea were speaking to Tom White as part of the Foundation of Light’s Legends in Lockdown charity talk-in – where the duo were quizzed on Sunderland’s drop into League One.

And while Brown says it is has been tough to watch passionate and dedicated staff depart, he is hopeful that a change at the top of the club could spark an upturn in fortunes.

Indeed, he has urged any potential new owners to ‘think ahead’ in their bid to get the club back up the leagues.

"It’s a little bit heartbreaking, because they shouldn’t be there,” he said.

"They should never have got to that point. We all know what’s happened and how it went.

"But if I think about the days when we were running out, playing Newcastle for instance in the Premier – with all the fans, the staff and the support who were there, it should never have got to where it is now.

"I’m sure eventually there will be a group of people who get together and get it all right, think ahead and get us back up the leagues.

"It’s definitely a club that is too big to be in that division and the supporters want and need that – and I’m sure the club do as well.

"It’s a shame it has gone the way it has done, but nobody would have ever thought it would have gone like that. Even when we were going through tough times and even when I left, I knew it was going to be tough to stay up again, but to keep going down and down and really struggle is hard to watch.

"When I’ve watched the Netflix programme, there’s still some of the staff from when I was there – but there’s so many that have gone as well. Good people, honest people who work hard and love the club as well.

"That’s the tough part for me, and I’m just hoping someone can turn it around.”

You can donate to the Foundation of Light’s charity talk-in HERE.