Sunderland midfielder Max Power has been reflecting on a season which he described as a 'learning curve' ahead of the play-off final this weekend.

The Black Cats' entire campaign comes down to 90 minutes at Wembley against Charlton, with the pressure of expectation firmly on the shoulders of Jack Ross' side.

Power admits when he first signed for the club, he wasn't as aware of the responsibility and pressure he'd experience in the north east.

“It’s been a huge learning curve for myself," he admitted to the Chronicle Live.

"I knew Sunderland was a big club before I came here, but I didn’t realise quite how big. It’s not an easy club to play for in terms of everything that comes with that. We’ve had a really challenging season, both at home and away."

The atmosphere at the Stadium of Light has been impressive all season, but Power feels every game has brought additional challenges because they're Sunderland, a huge fish in a small pond.

"At home it’s an unbelievable day, to come and play at such a great stadium and they see us as maybe a bit of a free hit. Away games, on the flip side, we take huge numbers wherever we go, which is fantastic, but every game feels like a cup match as a result. So that’s something we’ve had to learn to deal with."

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Having also been dismissed three times during the season, Power has been on a personal journey which he believes has taught him well.

"Personally, I’ve had a bit of a turbulent season at times. But I feel I’ve come through that. The red cards were tough to deal with, but I feel I’ve learned from them."

The 25-year-old made 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring four times.

The Verdict

Power is openly honest about the challenges and that's refreshing. He hasn't had quite the impact his early form suggested and those red cards made his life much harder than it should have been.

Sunderland are a big club, they're not used to being in the third-tier and it will seem a disaster if they're forced to endure another season playing the likes of Lincoln and Southend.

Thoughts? Let us know!