Strikers and bags of quality
he was gone – I think he deserved a better send-off, his contract ran down but I just think it would have been better if everyone had known that it was going to be his last game.
Fabio Borini
Bardo would support my right wingback, and that would be Fabio Borini.
He had so much quality, such a lot of energy, and he was a top, top, professional.
Again, he could play in a different formation if needed – with the players I’ve picked, he could go up top if we switched things round to a back four.
Fabio was a funny guy, very passionate, he speaks his mind and he could get people’s backs up at times, but you’d have no complaints from me about Fabio. I’d have him in my team every day of the week.
He’ll take penalties for you, he’ll handle big moments in big games because that’s when he comes alive, and he proved that at Sunderland in games like the League Cup final, playing at home against Newcastle – he scored some big
goals for the club.
Marcos Alonso
This was a tough one because Patter [Patrick van Aanholt] was a cracking leftback and he was so eager to learn, but I think when you look at Marcos and what he did that year for us and what he has gone on to do in his career since, he gets the nod.
He played in a four for us but at Fiorentina he played as a wingback and then he obviously came to Chelsea and had an amazing season there under Antonio Conte.
When I look back at my time at Sunderland, one thing I can see is that you need certain characteristics to play for the club and energy and quality are right up there, and the wingbacks I’ve picked have got loads of both.
Jordan Henderson
The middle three in midfield, again high energy, and Jordan Henderson would be in the middle as the pivot.
He’s going to sit, but with a three you don’t need a massive amount of defensive responsibility in there, and this is a role he is playing really successfully at Liverpool.
In a back four, I might have gone with someone else sitting and pushed Hendo on a bit.
Jordan is a local lad, probably one of the best players every to have come out of the club, he’s captaining a huge club now and it takes someone with a lot of mental strength to go to Anfield and fill Steven Gerrard’s boots, and that’s the biggest compliment anyone could pay him.
Everyone at Sunderland is very proud to see one of our own go to Liverpool and achieve the things he has done.
Not only that, he’s playing for England and he has also proved a role model off-the-field, providing a strong voice for players at the moment with the #Playerstogether initiative he’s helped set up to back the NHS while we all deal with the Covid-19 situation. He’s a great example for everyone to follow.
Yann M’vila
To the left of Hendo I’ve got Yann M’vila.
As soon as he came, I just loved the way he trained – he didn’t say much but he was aggressive and he had bags and bags of quality.
He loved it at Sunderland and he was there at the same time as Lamine Kone and Wahbi Khazri, it worked brilliantly.
When things change at a club and you’ve been there a long time it is difficult enough, but when you don’t speak the language it’s so tough.
With Lamine, Wahbi, Younes, and with Big Sam in charge, I think we would have seen some top players there but obviously it wasn’t meant to be, and Yann didn’t come back the next season.
Seb Larsson
To the right of Hendo
Seb.
Personally, from my point of view, we always knew exactly where each other would be on the pitch, and we spoke about the game a lot.
Again, his energy and appetite for the game was brilliant, his set-pieces were quality and he was always prepared to take responsibility.
He must have nearly 100 caps for Sweden, he’s played at the highest level
I’d have
and
in
World Cups and tournaments, and he loved the club – I think he would have loved to have stayed here because his family was settled.
These kind of things are important in dressing rooms.
Darren Bent
It has to be Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe up front. Both just absolute predators – unbelievable in front of goal.
They were different types of striker, but with the two of them in your team you can win most types of games.
You can win games when you are on the back foot and you’re breaking, with Benty playing on the shoulder of defences.
And when you’re dominating games, you have someone like Defoe in the box.
The club sold Benty for £20m or so a year early, I think. He was great for us and scored so many goals in his 18 months there.
Jermain Defoe
Jermain was another absolutely top drawer striker.
He’s a Londoner who spent most of his career in the South but he loved his time at Sunderland and he’s gone even further North now on loan to Rangers!
He’s an incredible finisher and he scored some great goals including that one in the Wear-tyne derby, but it wasn’t just his goals – when you look at the way he took to Bradley Lowery and how special their relationship was, it was amazing.
Jermain was with us in his 30s but he was fantastic to watch and fantastic to play alongside – you just knew if you found him inside the box, he’d put the ball in the net.