We didn’t do ourselves justice in play-off final – Honeyman
We got the train down to London for the Checkatrade final.
When we arrived, King’s Cross was full of Sunderland fans, singing songs at us when we were getting off.
It was absolutely packed! If there was ever a hair on the back of your neck moment, it was then. I think even the lads who had been at other huge clubs were taken aback by it. It was crazy.
The night before, Trafalgar Square was taken over by Sunderland fans.
There was this immense pride that you were there representing the club. You just want to do those fans justice, the whole place justice, because it’s crying out for a team to be proud of.
Before the game I’d got sent off at Wycombe and initially I thought I’d be missing the game.
I remember being in the changing room at Wycombe thinking: ‘Oh my God. You get thechancetoleadtheteamout atWembleyandwhathaveyou done?’Intheend,Iwasallowed to play because it was a different competition.
In the warm-up, they did both teams’ songs.
Irememberlookingupduring ‘Wise Men Say’ and seeing allthescarvesandpeoplesinging it right up to the very top of Wembley.
If you could bottle that feeling, you’d be able to sell it for any price you want. It was pretty special.
I felt I had a really good first half and I was really happy at thatstage.Ifeltwewereslightly unlucky not to win that game.
The Charlton game, we were all really disappointed with how that turned out. We were feeling really good going into the final after beating Portsmouth,whohadbeenour nemesis all year.
We have to hold our hands up – Charlton were by far and away the better team that day. That they won it with a lastminute goal was an even more bitter pill to swallow.
Ifwelookback,wedidn’tdo ourselves justice and if there’s one game I’d want back, it’d be that one.
It wasn’t through a lack of trying,maybewejustranoutof gas.We’dplayedalotoffootball that year, getting to two finals.
I remember walking off the pitch and Charlton were singing a Beatles song, Twist and Shout. It’s one of my favourite songs and I can’t even listen to that song again after seeing them celebrate.
Those feelings after the game, that will motivate you in the future because you never want to feel that low after a game again. You just want to bury your head in the sand and not come up for a couple of years.
Iwasextremelyproudofthe season we had last year, to give the fans two trips to Wembley, after the couple of seasons before.
Wedidn’tlosemanygames, it was the draws that killed us, but to produce all those wins andgettotwofinalsistoughgoing for any team.
It’ssomethingI’mextremely proud of and they’re memories that will be hard to top in my career because of how much the club means to me.
McLaughlin, O’Nien, Flanagan, Baldwin, James (Hume 88), Morgan (Gooch 73), Cattermole, Leadbitter (Wyke 95), McGeady, Honeyman, Grigg (Power 77). Subs not used: Ruiter, McGeouch, Dunne. Goals: McGeady, 38 Thompson, 82, Lowe, 114, McGeady, 119.
McLaughlin, Oviedo,Ozturk,Cattermole,Maguire (Grigg 57), Wyke (McGeady 72), Honeyman, Flanagan, O'Nien, Leadbitter, Power (Morgan 9). Subs not used: Stryjek, Matthews, Gooch, Dunne. Goals: Sarr OG, 5 Purrington, 35, Bauer, 90.
*Honeyman stepped up to the Championship when Hull
City came calling in the summer. Jack Ross hailed his ‘passion, attitude, passion for the club and job’, telling him he could look back on his time with pride.
He made a major impression on every manager he played for, with Chris Coleman describing him as the ‘best professional he’d ever worked with’.
While the season ended in disappointment, Honeyman’s overwhelming emotions are pride and gratitude...
“The club raised me,” George said.
“Everyone throughout the academy up to the cleaners, kitchen staff, the lot, they’re all like family to me.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say. It’s amazing they gave me that life experience and made me the person I am today.
“I think I spent more time at the Academy of Light than I have at my own home!
“Fromcominginat10years old, to say I captained the club for a season and twice at Wembley, that is literally the stuff of dreams. Not many academy boys can say that.
“There were obviously disappointingendstoseasonsbut if I was 10 years old and you’d offered me the chance to play just once at Sunderland, I’d have taken it.
“To end up with about 100 appearances and captain for a season,I’llneverhaveanything but fondness for the club.”