It’s been a long exodus from the Premier League for Sunderland, but come the 15th of August, the Black Cats will finally be plying their trade in the luxuries of the top division once more.
West Ham United will visit the Stadium of Light on the opening day as Regis Le Bris’ men pray that a victory comes their way to instantly calm the Wearside masses.
Funnier things have occurred on the dramatic opening day of England’s premium division, and with the number of high-profile signings that have arrived through the door, Sunderland will surely be confident they can down the Hammers to start the season off on the best possible note.
Heroes could well be made across the campaign as the Black Cats attempt to stay afloat in the Premier League, with many of the new Sunderland faces no doubt hoping they can insert themselves into the club’s hall-of-fame if survival is secured, much like Jermain Defoe managed when he led the line with class across a century of appearances on Wearside.
Defoe's goalscoring heroics at Sunderland
Unfortunately for the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, he would suffer relegation to the EFL with the Black Cats. But, he is still held in high esteem for his goal-scoring heroics away from the unfortunate blemish on his CV.
Across those 100 games for the club, Defoe would go on to bag a high 37 strikes in total, with a large portion of those – 15 to be exact – coming during the 2015/16 campaign as Sunderland just about held on to their Premier League status by the skin of their teeth. Without Defoe’s crucial contributions, a relegation would have occurred far swifter.
Sunderland will hope they aren’t light on their feet in the striker department when heading up to the Premier League, with 13-goal hero Wilson Isidor from last season never being exposed to the pressures of the English top-flight before.
With exciting talents from Spain in the form of Gonzalo Garcia and Luis Suarez also reportedly on their radar, Le Bris and Co. could well be better off snapping up an experienced head up top who knows the Premier League inside out to ensure safety is reached at a minimum, with this target one they should pursue if they want to win their next potential version of Defoe.
Sunderland could sign the next Defoe
After all, whilst Sunderland fans are getting carried away about their quick-fire summer business, there is no guarantee that the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki will hit the ground running immediately in the tense environment of the Premier League.
Whereas, if he can wriggle free of his recurring injury issues, Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be able to slot into the Sunderland XI and lead the line with confidence in this regard, having amassed a mammoth 239 appearances in the competitive division to date.
His know-how of the division has alerted the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United to his free agent services, too, having waved goodbye to his long-term Merseyside employers this summer.
That will ensure that Sunderland – who have been linked to the injury-prone striker via a prior report from SportsBoom – will have their work cut out to land the ex-Toffees number nine over their higher-up competitors.
Yet, Sunderland has already shown a degree of bravery in the whirlwind transfer market when pipping the likes of Leeds to the signatures of both Diarra and Sadiki, and whilst the Red Devils and the Magpies will be tantalising prospects for Calvert-Lewin to move to, he will surely know more regular game-time would come his way at the Stadium of Light.
Games played
239
Substitute appearances
60
Goals scored
57
Assists
15
Penalty record
5/6 scored (83%)
Duels won
1423
When he isn’t being plagued by recurring trips to the treatment room, Calvert-Lewin has shown across his extensive Premier League career that he can be a reliable source of goals, with 57 strikes next to his name from 239 top-flight outings. At one stage back in 2020, amid interest from Man United, he was even valued at £80m by the Toffees.
This wealth of experience puts him on the same pedestal as the now-retired ex-Sunderland striker, with his wide-spanning knowledge of the tough division, and his goalscoring expertise when fit, making him that Defoe-like figure, away from just their shared international allegiance to England.
Like his compatriot too – who originally joined the Black Cats in 2015 from MLS side Toronto – there is a feeling of Calvert-Lewin needing to revive his career somewhat, having scored just three league goals last term.
Further hailed as being “sensational” by football journalist Connor O’Neill last year when starring for Everton, this does feel like a shrewd pick-up that might just ensure Sunderland’s relegation nightmares are lessened.
It will, of course, be up to the ex-Sheffield United man to try and get back to his injury-free best. But, if he can turn back into being a “monster” in front of goal – as he was also once labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – he could be the spark that steers the Black Cats away from relegation, much like Defoe was once capable of.
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1 ByKelan Sarson
