Sunderland players returned to the Academy of Light this morning ahead of a punishing start to the League One season.

The Black Cats narrowly missed out on promotion, losing to Charlton in the play-off final to a last-gasp Patrick Bauer goal. That capped a season of frustration in which they also lost in the EFL Trophy final to Portsmouth.

Having been amongst the favourites for automatic promotion, a double Wembley heartbreak was a tough outcome for a decent season.

They're back this morning with the club still in the grip of a takeover. There has been little movement on Mark Campbell's proposed investment, with reports suggesting there could be a snag.

Whilst that rumbles on behind the scenes, the players were back in training and raring to go for a new season. It's the first return in ten years that hasn't featured Lee Cattermole, he's been released in the last 24 hours.

One player who hasn't been released is Glenn Loovens and he seemed to be the focus of much of the social media response to their return, along with Luke O'Nien who is as popular as ever.