High hopes - but there’s work to do

THE news Bailey Wright has signed a new two-year contract on Wearside means Sunderland are three-for-three - the trio of out-of-contract players offered new deals have all committed their futures to the club.

Academy graduate Lynden Gooch was first out of the traps when he signed a two-year deal in the middle of last week.

Patrick Roberts did likewise last weekend, having initially signed a short-term deal from Manchester City in January.

After returning from international duty with Australia, Wright has now also signed up.

Contrast that to the situation exactly 12 months ago when Aiden McGeady was the only one of four players offered new terms to re-sign for what in his case turned out to be a final hurrah.

Luke O’Nien followed suit in early July but academy graduate Denver Hume hedged his bets until September before signing the deal left on the table.

It always felt like a shotgun marriage so it was no surprise when he was sold to Portsmouth in January, having played only a handful of games in the first half of the season.

As for the fourth member of the quartet Charlie Wyke, after scoring 31 goals the previous season his stock was high so he refused a new deal and signed for Wigan Athletic.

McGeady’s farewell season was wrecked by the knee ligament injury he suffered in November and he did not kick a ball in anger after that.

So, with Hume bailing out mid-season, O’Nien was the only one of the 2021 renewals who could be described as a success.

Back to the present, there is a very different feeling in the air.

With Sunderland preparing to return to the Championship, players are keen to sign up to the project.

Sunderland approach the season in a positive mindset with fans squarely behind new head coach Alex Neil after he rescued a season in danger of petering out and turned it into a play-off winning campaign.

Around 30,000 season tickets have already been sold and there is a genuine belief the club is at last heading in the right direction after four years in League One.

However, to make the transition, the Wearsiders need to bring in players this summer with Championship knowhow - and also to hold on to the ones they have already.