I’m so pleased for the Sunderland fans – Neil
ALEX Neil was delighted to bring the good times back to Sunderland after they returned to the Sky Bet Championship for the first time in four years, writes Jonathan Veal.
The Black Cats deservedly beat Wycombe in the League One playoffs final at Wembley, with goals from Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart, right, sealing promotion in front of more than 72,000 fans, 46,000 of them from Wearside.
Those supporters have not had it easy in recent times, with back-toback relegations and four years of third-tier obscurity.
Neil, who was only appointed in February following Lee Johnson’s surprise sacking, was proud to be the man to reverse the slide.
“When you come to a club like Sunderland, people love a fallen giant and love to stick the boot in,” he said. “It was such a challenge for me to come here because this club has hoovered up managers over the last four years, but I have always had confidence I could go to a big club.
“I’m not dancing around, people think I’m miserable, but I’m not, I’m content. I’m extremely satisfied I have been able to deliver so much to so many people, and that for me is the most important thing, because it has been tough for this club for a few years.
“The team-talk today was talking about moments in your career, this
SUNDERLAND ................... 2 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 0
is your moment in time, you could be a hero. For Sunderland fans, this team they will be heroes and they will be remembered forever and I’m so, so pleased for them.
“It has been a really good day for us. That is the most pleasing thing for me that you could imagine.”
It was a deserved success at Wembley, with Embleton’s early drive putting them in front before Stewart’s 26th goal of the season sealed promotion late on.
The match marked 40-year-old Wycombe front man Adebayo Akinfenwa’s 756th and final appearance of a long career as he heads into retirement.
His manager Gareth Ainsworth said: “We’re going to miss him a lot, he is a fantastic player. We are really proud to be the club Bayo called home, that is really a proud moment for me.”