Luke O'Nien has been a shining light in a very difficult four seasons in League One for Sunderland.
The combative central midfielder shook off an extended injury lay-up to earn his place back in the side in the second half of the season, with his efforts rewarded with a 2-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off final.
The 27-year-old has not played in the Championship since the 2013/14 season and will be ready to fight to keep his place under Alex Neil in the second tier.
O'Nien took to Twitter to express his emotions after making the long awaited step up the pyramid.
He wrote: "This picture couldn’t sum up what promotion meant with this great club!
"Losing 2 times at Wembley.
"Surgery. 3 years falling short of promotion.
"3 years of weight was lifted in that moment the full-time whistle went.
"Incredible feeling that will last forever in my memory."
It will be interesting to see the type of transfer business the Black Cats conduct in the summer transfer window, with Neil looking to put together a team in his own image.
O'Nien's relentless energy and sky high work rate stands him in good stead to remain an integral cog in the second tier, and his versatility will ensure he is a valued option, whichever tactics are deployed.
The Verdict
There are some similarities to be drawn with the likes of Norwich City, Southampton and Sheffield United, who made a very quick jump from League One back to the Premier League in the not too distant past.
With the momentum and good feeling built on Wearside under Alex Neil, it certainly feels like there is an opportunity to capitalise on the play-off success to ruffle some feathers in the top half of the second tier next term.
O'Nien stands out on the team sheet as someone who could make the transition to the Championship very smoothly, but a strong pre-season will be a pre-requisite to that, with plenty of competition for places in midfield present at the Stadium of Light.