‘I don’t think I’ll be getting stick anymore’ – Tommy Watson fires Sunderland back to Premier League with dream goodbye gift | OneFootball

Not even in Tommy Watson’s wildest dreams could he have imagined a better ending to his Sunderland career.

With the last shot, possibly his very last touch, of his time at the club, the 19-year-old boyhood Sunderland fan from nearby Horden fired the Black Cats back into the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Watson has already agreed a move to now fellow Premier League side Brighton this summer, and the announcement came with something of a mixed reaction from Sunderland fans, many of whom were none too happy with that decision.

But after presenting supporters with the best possible goodbye gift, Watson is hoping all is forgiven.

“I’ve had stick from the fans but I’ve come out the other side and I don’t think I’ll be getting stick anymore,” he said.

“It’s where the club deserve to be. An absolute monster of a club that deserves to be in the Premier League.

“It’s an absolute dream come true. I’ve been a Sunderland fan since I was five or six years of age.”

Sunderland went into the game against Sheffield United as significant underdogs. The Blades narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and finished 14 points ahead of Regis Le Bris’ side going into the play-offs.

But that message did not get through to the Sunderland fans, who never stopped believing their team could upset the odds and return to where they feel they should be, even when Tyrese Campbell gave United a first-half lead after a fantastic run and pass from star man Gustavo Hamer.

That faith was somewhat tested when Sheffield United thought they had added a second through Harrison Burrows, though, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out for an offside. Sunderland fans will have to get used to waiting for the outcome of big decisions, given VAR had not been introduced the last time they played top-flight football.

But the decision to rule out Burrows’ goal buoyed the supporters. There were frustrations in the first half that Le Bris’ side were not moving the ball quickly enough, or playing forward often enough, a message that was clearly shared by the Sunderland boss. His side came out for the second half with more intensity and a desire to attack quicker, and were rewarded when Eliezer Mayenda burst through on goal from a Patrick Robets pass and brilliantly finished into the roof of the net.

Sunderland’s rotten run at Wembley is now a distant memory. The club have won their last three games at the venue and have put to bed those ghosts of the past.

It is no secret that newly promoted clubs have struggled massively in recent years, and it will no doubt be a difficult task for Sunderland to stay up.

But with the incredible backing of a passionate fanbase, a manager in Le Bris who has shown a willingness to be adaptable, and an outstanding crop of young talent, there should be real belief that the Black Cats can stay there.

Having already lost Watson, keeping hold of the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Mayenda, Chris Rigg and others will be a huge boost, and Le Bris will need to be backed.

But those are worries for a later date. After years of pain which saw the club spend four seasons in League One, Sunderland are finally back in the big time.