Sunderland may be in the mix to secure promotion to the Championship this term fans won't be forgetting that they've seen some wonderful players over the years.
It wasn't that long ago that the club were playing in the Premier League and with that came the profile and financial backing to secure the signings of some of English football's biggest names.
The Black Cats were a regular feature in the top flight and even reached the League Cup final during the last decade, so there's no doubt that they were a force to be reckoned with.
Lee Johnson's current side consists of players who are well on the way to establishing themselves as Sunderland favourites, but much of that will depend on how they fare in the promotion race.
So who features in Sunderland's best XI of the last decade? We take a look at our 1-11 of top players from the last 10 years.
It's hard to look at anybody else for the goalkeeper's jersey, to be honest.
Jordan Pickford came through the youth set-up with Sunderland before going on to enjoy loan spells with Darlington, Burton Albion, Bradford City and Preston North End where he finally showed his true quality.
After that he established himself as a key player for Sunderland during his 18 months as a first team player for the club before going on to join Everton for a fee of £25million, making him the third-most expensive goalkeeper in history at the time.
Since then Pickford has established himself as a first choice for Everton and a regular pick for England where he has already racked up 30 caps, including being the first choice during the World Cup back in 2018.
Whether you like him or not, there's no disputing what he's gone on to achieve and for that Pickford deserves huge credit.
Sunderland supporters have a soft spot for players who are fierce competitors and warriors on the pitch.
There's no doubt that Phil Bardsley fits into that category.
After coming through the youth set-up with Manchester United the defender spent time on loan with Burnley, Rangers, Aston Villa and Sheffield United which meant that he was already a pretty established player when he moved to Sunderland in 2008.
Bardsley spent six years at the Stadium Of Light and helped the club to the League Cup final in 2014 as he established himself as a mainstay in the side during that time.
Since then the full-back has thrived with both Stoke City and current club Burnley where he is still competing at the highest level at the age of 35.
We had to include at least one player for Lee Johnson's current squad, didn't we?
Luke O'Nien is a hugely popular player at the Stadium Of Light having moved to the club in 2018 when the club suffered relegation to League One.
Since then the versatile star has been Sunderland's Mr Reliable after slotting into numerous roles in the side including right-back, left-back, right-midfield and central midfield.
Recently O'Nien has established himself at centre-back under Lee Johnson and looks like he could be playing a big role in helping the club back to the Championship.
We're under no illusions that Sunderland have had more talented defenders during the last decade but O'Nien is a massive player right now and deserves his spot in our side.
One of the easier choices in our best Sunderland XI of the last decade.
John O'Shea spent nine years as a first team player at Old Trafford between 2002 and 2011 in which time he won pretty much everything that was available to him as a club player.
He then moved to Sunderland for a new challenge and immediately established himself as one of the Black Cats' real leaders during his seven years at the club.
While O'Shea's time with the club ended with Sunderland being relegated to League One in 2018 there's no doubt that he was a top player for the club during his lengthy spell on Wearside.
There were a number of decent options in this position but the Dutchman gets the nod.
The full-back started his career with Chelsea where he spent time on loan with the likes of Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City before leaving West London on a permanent basis.
Sunderland was his destination in 2014 and Van Aanholt spent two and a half years at the Stadium Of Light before moving on to Crystal Palace in January 2017.
Since then he's kicked on even further and established himself as one of the top defenders in the Premier League - something that he certainly showed he was capable of on Wearside.
The easiest selection to make in our best Sunderland XI of the last decade.
Jordan Henderson is a real hometown hero after coming through the youth ranks at the Academy Of Light before breaking into the first team fold.
After a spell with Coventry City the midfielder spent two seasons as a key first team star for the Black Cats before moving to Liverpool in the summer of 2011 - meaning that he's only just eligible for our team!
Since then you can't argue with what Henderson has achieved with a Premier League title, a Champions League winners' medal, a Club World Championship title plus others showing that he's a valuable asset for one of the biggest clubs in world football.
If that doesn't get him in our team then I don't know what does.
As mentioned with Phil Bardsley, Sunderland fans love a player who will put their foot in and Lee Cattermole certainly does that.
After bursting onto the scene with Middlesbrough the midfielder quickly became a regular player in the Premier League before moving on to join Wigan Athletic in 2018.
After just a year with the Latics Cattermole joined Sunderland in 2009 and became a central figure as he spent 10 years at the Stadium Of Light.
As well as leading the club during their Premier League years the tough-tackling midfielder showed real loyalty by sticking with the club in the Championship and League One before leaving for the Dutch Eredivisie in 2019.
But given his commitment to the cause and his role as club captain there's no doubting that he deserves a place in this side.
A tricky one but few can argue with the quality that Stephane Sessegnon had at his disposal.
The winger left Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 and moved to Sunderland as he looked to make a name for himself as one of the top players in the Premier League.
He spent two years at the Stadium Of Light and really showed his quality during that time after scoring 18 goals and creating 20 more in just 97 appearances for the Black Cats.
Sessegnon's pace and trickery made him a real handful for Sunderland's opponents before leaving for West Brom in 2013.
Perhaps not the most talented player to play for the club but undoubtedly a real fans' favourite.
Borini started his youth career with Chelsea and Parma before joining Liverpool in 2012 where he struggled to really make a mark at first team level.
It was there that he first went to Sunderland on loan - a season that saw him play a key role in helping the club to the League Cup final and even saw him find the back of the net in the showpiece event.
Borini's trademark was scoring big goals in big moments and so there's no doubt as to why he's such a popular figure among supporters.
A hugely popular figure at the Stadium Of Light.
Jermain Defoe has scored goals wherever he's been and it was no different at Sunderland when he joined the club in 2015.
The striker spent two years with the Black Cats and managed to score 37 goals in 93 appearances for the Wearsiders - a particularly impressive tally given the club's struggles at the bottom of the table.
But while his performances on the pitch made him popular it was his heartwarming relationship with Bradley Lowery that made him a genuine favourite with the striker exceeding all expectations with the friendship that he developed with the youngster - not to mention the continued support that he provides the family and the Bradley Lowery Foundation where Defoe is now a patron.
Another top player who showed his best form while at the Stadium Of Light.
After scoring goals for fun with Charlton Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur, Bent moved to Sunderland in 2009 and immediately hit the ground running.
Bent spent just 18 months at the Stadium Of Light but had a quite extraordinary strike rate during that time with the frontman scoring 36 goals in 63 appearances for the club - a record that's better than one goal every two matches.
While his move to Aston Villa left a sour taste in the mouths of supporters there's no doubt that he made a huge contribution during his time at the club and would certainly make it into our XI.