THE BACK CATS

Everyone had given up.. the club.. the players and the fans.. but now we are winning again.. and we are all driven ..but no

LEE CATTERMOLE has revealed the inside story of Sunderland’s demise, claiming “everyone had given up.”

A year ago the Wearside club were heading into League One after consecutive relegations.

Tomorrow their fightback continues with a trip to Wembley and the Checkatrade Trophy final.

It’s an 80,000 sell-out that is set to be the best attended match of the weekend in Europe. Only Barcelona v Espanyol will come close.

Cattermole is the only survivor of the Black Cats’ last trip to Wembley, the 2014 League Cup final, a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. He reflected on a turbulent few years as the club’s senior enforcer and admitted:

“I was hurt. I felt it was a sinking ship, everyone had given up .... the players, supporters, the club.

“It felt we were suffering, and we would carry on suffering. It was one of those where you had maybe started to think: ‘I need a new start.’

“Last year we played some good football but we didn’t have any belief, the whole place. You felt a bit helpless.”

Boss Jack Ross and new owner Stewart Donald have started the clean-up process which will gather momentum if Sunderland beat Portsmouth, and go on to win promotion back to the Championship.

Cattermole added: “The only way you get out of that is start winning games. I have found something extra this year, I feel really driven again. This season

has been enjoyable because we are winning again' There is a new humility about the place, including grabbing a broom and cleaning up after themselves on away trips. Cattermole added: "What has pleased me most is the mentality, we go focused and then we clean the dressing rooms, the dug-outs when we leave. That is something the staff do which is brilliant and people don't see that 'We were a bit naive last year, probably tried to keep playing like we were in the Premier League in the Championship. "We have learned that you can't. We have respected the league we were in:' Cattermole

could have left in the summer but when the transfer window shut he committed himself to the cause. The communication skills of Ross have helped gel a team.

He revealed: “Jack cares about his lads, he looks for answers, he wants responses, it’s not always his way. He wants to be challenged.

“He is comfortable in his own skin. He has changed the dressing room. He has had lads at different times of their careers and he has handled it all.

“You ask anyone in the dressing room, everyone is supportive. Whether you are in it or not you want to be involved and supportive. We are a team.”

Ross says his side won’t be overawed by the Wembley occasion.

He said: “This group has shown they are mentally tough and have dealt with big crowds and challenges.

“It has never concerned me, their ability to handle the occasion.”