Hat-trick takes Wykes to lucky 13 for the season so far

SUNDERLAND’S hat-trick hero Charlie Wyke was an anxious man as he left Plough Lane – desperate to get back to the North East and check his car was still there!

Wyke scored all three goals as the Black Cats beat AFC Wimbledon 3-0.

But as he departed clutching the match ball, the 28-year-old could not help but remember the events that followed his first senior hat-trick, which came while on loan at League Two Carlisle as the Cumbrians beat Mansfield Town in November 2016.

Wyke returned home from that game to find his parents’ house had been burgled, their car stolen, and to complete an unwanted treble his Twitter account had been taken over by a Russian company offering some very dubious services.

“The first time I scored a hat-trick I got home, my house had been burgled and my car had been pinched – and my Twitter got hacked on the same day,” smiled Wyke.

“Hopefully I get home today and my car is still there!”

Wyke’s goals on Saturday took him to 13 for the season in all competitions, including ten in the League, and earned him fulsome praise from head coach Lee Johnson.

“It’s great to get a hat-trick and that gets me in double figures,” said Wyke, who had a loan spell at Wimbledon in 2014 when he was still a Middlesbrough player.

“I think I’m on 13 goals now so it’s a good day all round.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that I’ve had a difficult time at Sunderland, and it’s nice to get all the frustration out and score some goals.

“Long may it continue.

“Over the last two seasons, I probably would have missed those opportunities with a lack of confidence.

“But they went in for me on Saturday, and like it has been all season I really enjoyed it. I’m full of confidence.

“Hopefully I’ve turned the corner now. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully it does pay off.”