In hindsight, Sunderland AFC should never have let go of these 3 ex-academy players

FLW have looked at three ex-academy players Sunderland in hindsight shouldn’t have let go.

Sunderland will hope the 2023/24 Championship season can be just as good as last season’s.

The club started the campaign in poor style, failing to win any of their three opening games, but Tony Mowbray has got the team together, and they have now climbed back up the table.

The club managed to surprise many last season by being consistent enough to finish in the play-offs.

However, the pressure will now be on the club to continue from last season, as the fans will know they are capable of doing it once again.

That is why the club had a very busy summer transfer window, as Mowbray was keen to strengthen his side and replace any players who left the club.

3 ex-academy players Sunderland shouldn’t have sold

So, with the transfer window now closed, here at Football League World, we have looked at three academy players that Sunderland probably shouldn’t have let go in hindsight…

Jordan Pickford

One of the most famous players to come through Sunderland’s academy is now Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The 29-year-old came through the club’s different age groups while also having a few loan spells away.

But in 2016, he managed to establish himself as the club’s first-choice keeper. However, it was a time when the club was struggling on the pitch, but Pickford was a shining light.

The club suffered a shock relegation to the Championship, and it was that summer that saw Everton come and sign the goalkeeper in a deal that was too hard to turn down.

But looking back, if Sunderland had managed to stay in the Premier League, they may have been able to keep hold of the player for a little while longer at the very least.

John Egan

It may surprise some people that Sheffield United defender John Egan originally came through the academy at Sunderland.

He moved to the club from Ireland at a young age and worked his way up the age groups. He left the club in 2014 to join Gillingham on a free transfer, but his time at the Stadium of Light saw him fail to make a single appearance in the first team.

The defender has now established himself as a very good defender in the Championship and the Premier League.

He is also experienced on the international stage, having impressed with the Gills before joining Brentford and then earning a move to Sheffield United.

Egan is now part of the Blades team trying to survive in the Premier League, and for Sunderland looking back, he is probably one they wish they gave a chance to and didn’t allow him to leave for nothing.

Jordan Henderson

Another player you think of when you talk about Sunderland’s academy is midfielder Jordan Henderson.

He is born and bred in Sunderland, playing for the club’s different academy groups before playing for the first team.

The 33-year-old played 79 times for the Black Cats, scoring five goals and registering 11 assists.

He broke onto the scene in the 2009/10 season, helping Sunderland survive in the Premier League, and then again, he had another top-flight campaign under his belt the following season.

His influence on the team was becoming clear to see, but his performances didn’t go unnoticed, and Liverpool came calling. They signed the midfielder, and until this summer, he had been playing there ever since.

Henderson has gone on to win various trophies at Anfield, but he is another one that Sunderland and their supporters wish they had for a little while longer or hadn’t sold altogether.