How Black Cats quartet are doing while plying their trade out on loan
Sunderland are fighting to finish in the League One play-off places at the end of the season.
It has been an interesting season, to say the least, with Lee Johnson starting the season as head coach before his sacking in January.
Jermain Defoe then signed amidst rumours Roy Keane could also return to the club, but Alex Neil was the man who eventually took over at the Academy of Light.
Since then, there has been drama regarding the ownership structure at Sunderland after it was revealed that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus did not own the majority of shares with Charlie Methven and Stewart Donald retaining part-ownership of the club.
Amongst all of the madness several players have also found themselves sent out on loan to gain game time this season.Here, we take a look at how they are getting on away from Wearside.
Will Grigg: After finding the net for Sunderland against Hull City in a pre-season friendly, Will Grigg was loaned to promotion rivals Rotherham United.
Since then, the 30-yearold Northern Ireland international has played 27 times for the Millers, starting 13 League One games for the club.
Grigg has managed to net six goals and bag an assist. However, the player is currently on the side lines through a hamstring injury and won’t feature again this season.
Grigg’s contract at Sunderland
is up at the end of the season but Millers’ boss Paul War ne is keen to keep him beyond the current campaign despite his injury woes.
“I’ ll definitely speak to him ,” Warne said.
“Just because he’s injured now doesn’t mean there’s a long-term problem. He’ ll come back from it. It’s not like he’s 38 or something.
“I really like Griggy. Whatever league we’ re in, I think the club should try to keep him. He ‘gets’ the club, he gets what we’re about.”
Jack Diamond: It has been a bit of a crazy season for Jack Diamond.
The tricky wing er returned to League Two side Harrogate Town on loan last August.
Diamond was recalled by Sunderland in January with the Black Cats dealing with a
Covid outbreak at the club.
However, later that month he returned to Harrogate for the rest of the season having made a handful of appearances for Sunderland.
The22-year-oldGatesheadborn academy graduate’s stats for Town make for impressive reading.
Diamond has made 36 appearances in all competitions and has netted 10 goals.
In League One, Diamond has assisted nine times for Harrogate.
Stephen Wear ne and PatrickAlmond: Stephen Wear ne made his professional debut for Sunderland this season in the 2-1 Papa John’s Trophy win over Lincoln City last October.
In January, however, Wear ne joined Torquay Unitedon loan for the remainder of the season.
Wearne has played 11 times (averaging 83 minutes per match) for the National League club and has scored one goal with the player typically playing at left-wing-back.
Like Wear ne, defender Patrick Almond has also made 11 appearances whilst out on loan at National League North club Blyth Spartans.
Almond is currently averaging 90 minutes per match.