Sunderland have been out of the Premier League for the past three seasons, suffering relegation at the end of 2016/17 and so over again the following entrada, leaving them in League 1 for the by two years.

Promotion back to the top flight is the eventual aim for the Blackness Cats, simply it'll exist a long road back given the demand to gradually better the team and work their way back up the pyramid. Their starting line-upwards has changed an enormous amount since their peak-flying days, while even and so information technology proved not strong plenty to keep them in the Premier League.

The concluding game was a dismal ending to their fourth dimension at the top, a v-i loss at Chelsea in what was the final game at the club of Stamford Bridge legend John Terry. And so what happened to the Sunderland players on testify on that twenty-four hour period back in May 2017?

Jordan Pickford

The goalkeeper left that summertime, moving to Everton where he has since been No. ane. Pickford also became England'due south starting time choice and played at the 2018 Earth Cup — the undoubted success story of Sunderland's final Premier League lineup.

Javier Manquillo

Wing-back Manquillo completed his one-year loan from Atletico Madrid and returned to the Spanish club, but was soon back in the north-east — this fourth dimension at Newcastle. He signed a permanent deal with them that same summertime, for around £4.5million, and remains a squad selection at St. James' Park.

John O'Shea

O'Shea signed a 1-yr contract extension with Sunderland after their relegation, joining the club in the Championship. Matters didn't meliorate, of course, and he made the move to Reading instead, signing a one-year deal at the Madejski Stadium. He retired at the end of the 2019 campaign and has since joined the backroom staff every bit a coach at the guild.

Baton Jones

Jones was some other who accustomed the initial drib with the Black Cats, being in and out of the team during 17/eighteen. Thereafter he joined League One side Rotherham, where he has spent the past 2 campaigns coming in and out of the team at full-back.

Joleon Lescott

That 5-ane drubbing at Stamford Bridge was the last appearance of his long career. The England international defender had only joined on a short-term deal, but age and injury meant the end of the line that summer. He has since coached with England Under-21s and Manchester Metropolis's youth teams and works for the latter as a player loanee liaison.

Joleon Lescott in action for Sunderland in their last Premier League game

Joleon Lescott in action for Sunderland in their last Premier League game

Bryan Oviedo

Wing-back Oviedo dropped downwardly the leagues with Sunderland, but was in and out of the squad in eighteen/xix and left last summer to bring together FC Copenhagen. He'southward a squad option in Denmark, but featured in Europe this season confronting the likes of Celtic and Dynamo Kyiv.

Seb Larsson

Swedish midfielder Larsson switched clubs after the outset relegation, joining Hull City in the Championship. He played only a single flavor at that place though, before making a summer switch to AIK in his domicile country. He has been in that location since and is a regular first-squad starter.

Jack Rodwell

Former England international Rodwell saw his career derailed as quickly as Sunderland's prospects equally a top team were. He barely featured in the Title and joined Blackburn in 2018 after his Sunderland contract was terminated, simply stayed only a single season before leaving over again on a free. After beingness without a club for several months, he joined Premier League side Sheffield United in January of this twelvemonth, but has only played in one case.

Lee Cattermole

Tough-tackling Cattermole was another who dropped down the leagues with the Black Cats, playing in both the Title and League One. He eventually ended a 10-year stay at the gild with a move to the Dutch Eredivisie last summer, joining VVV-Venlo on a ane-year deal.

Adnan Januzaj

Belgian attacker Januzaj was merely a youngster on loan during the relegation campaign, simply left Manchester United soon afterward the terminate of the flavour. He has since been in Spain with Existent Sociedad, where he has had mixed fortunes. At present 25, Januzaj has suffered several injuries and is in and out of the side and has not even so fulfilled his early promise.

Fabio Borini

1 of the more surprising transfers of the summer of 2017, Borini joined Air-conditioning Milan on loan and completed a permanent deal the following summer. Often more of a hard-working winger than actual striker at Milan, he completed a January complimentary transfer move to Hellas Verona and has moved back into a primal attacking role.

Jermain Defoe has returned to Sunderland

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You won't miss a unmarried thing.

Lynden Gooch

The only role player who got on the pitch that day nonetheless at the club, Gooch is now 24 and a cardinal starter for Sunderland on the wing.

Darron Gibson

The last late sub of the season, Gibson departed Sunderland in 2018 and has since featured for Wigan and Salford, where he was released earlier this month.