Gary Rowell: Sunderland devastated by death of ‘legendary’ striker aged 68 | OneFootball

Gary Rowell, the Sunderland great, has died aged 68 after a battle with leukaemia.

The club said in a statement that they were truly devastated, and that he passed away on Saturday, December 14, exactly 50 years after his Sunderland debut, with his sons Chris and Peter alongside him.

Seaham-born Rowell was spotted with Seaham Juniors, joining Sunderland as an apprentice in 1972 and turning professional in 1974. He made 297 appearances and scored 103 goals across 12 years at Roker Park. He was added to the SAFC Hall of Fame in 2020.

He made his league debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Oxford on December 13, 1975. He hit a hat-trick in a 4-1 Division Two victory at Newcastle in February 1979, then repeated the feat in a 3-0 Division One win against Arsenal in December 1982.

Capped once by England at under-21 level, Rowell is one of only three post-war Sunderland players to reach 100 goals, alongside Len Shackleton and Kevin Phillips. He left for Norwich in the summer of 1984, missing their 1985 League Cup final win over Sunderland through injury.

Later came spells with Middlesbrough, Brighton, Carlisle and Burnley. After retiring, he worked as a financial consultant and radio pundit. His death came a day before Sunderland host Newcastle in the clubs' first Premier League meeting since March 2016.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk