The days of playing in the Premier League will feel like a distant memory for plenty of Sunderland supporters.
Back-to-back relegations mean that the Black Cats are playing their football in the third tier, with the Stadium of Light faithful eager to see their side return to the top-flight at the earliest of opportunities.
One player that featured for Sunderland in the days of playing in the Premier League was Nedum Onuoha, who made 32 appearances for the Black Cats whilst on loan from Manchester City.
Speaking in an interview with Sunderland Live, Onuoha expressed his delight on his loan spell at the Stadium of Light, and labelled it as 'special'.
"I absolutely loved it. It’s probably one of the favourite years of my career.
"It was the first time I left City and I went to a big club, big stadium, passionate fanbase etc. We finished tenth in the Premier League so it was a success really. I enjoyed the place too. I lived in Seaham and would wake up every day and see the sunrise off the North Sea. It was special."
Onuoha went on to state that Sunderland shouldn't be playing their football in the third tier, and was pleased with the progress he made with the Black Cats in his time with the club.
Sunderland finished the 2010/11 season tenth in the Premier League, which will seem like a million miles away from where they find themselves nowadays.
"The club now isn’t where it should be, but looking back at that time, when I arrived they said the goal was to try and finish in the top ten and that didn’t feel like something that was outlandish because of the players we had there. So many really good players.
"Whenever you go somewhere new you have to start afresh and impress, but when it’s a loan I feel you have to really hit the ground running because you only have a year for people to understand and respect what you’re about. Otherwise, the loan is a complete waste of time.
"It was great to be so involved in such a good team."
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The Verdict:
Onuoha was impressive in his loan spell with Sunderland.
He gained valuable experience out on loan with the Black Cats, and went on to be a key player for QPR in the Premier League in the future.
Sunderland could certainly benefit from having a player of his experience and quality in their team this season, as they target promotion back into the Championship.