“Like you were in Big Brother” - George Honeyman questions Sunderland AFC, Netflix documentary | OneFootball

George Honeyman has opened up on what it was like to be part of Sunderland 'Til I Die.

Millwall’s George Honeyman has revealed that Sunderland’s Netflix documentary impacted the players negatively during his time at the club.

The midfielder came through the ranks at the Stadium of Light, and he would go on to make almost 100 appearances for his boyhood club before leaving for Hull City in 2019.

And, his breakthrough year with the Black Cats came when the club were having the first series of Sunderland ‘Til I Die filmed by Netflix.

George Honeyman reflects on Sunderland’s Netflix documentary

That saw a film crew following the players and key figures at the club on a daily basis, offering a unique insight into what goes on at a football club.

For observers, it was a fascinating watch, and that template has been copied by clubs and streaming services across the world.

However, speaking to Millwall’s club media, Honeyman opened up on what it was like to be involved, as he stated that it didn’t help the atmosphere among the group, although he was keen to stress it wasn’t the reason Sunderland ultimately were relegated.

“I think the first season was (too intrusive). Sunderland have got an amazing training ground, and it’s pretty big, but they managed to put GoPro’s all over it. It genuinely felt like you were in Big Brother!

“That’s not the reason why we had a bad season, but it definitely didn’t help, and I don’t think lads ever felt comfortable.

“You might have lads in the physio room and they say something, and you’re like ‘oh I need to see the producer to get that cut out’, and I don’t think that’s a good working environment or for the dressing room.

“The second season was better as it was more of an extension of your club media, so it would be more one-to-one, but it probably doesn’t produce as good TV. I understand why they want to do it.”

Sunderland should have consulted the players

This is an interesting view from Honeyman, and it shows that the players weren’t really consulted on what went on.

Of course, the club saw the financial benefit of the documentary, but it was always going to have an impact on the squad and how they behaved around the club, particularly as it was relatively unusual back then to have so many cameras involved.

We often hear about players talking about what happens inside the club, stays inside the club, and this obviously wasn’t the case here.

But, as Honeyman says, it wasn’t an excuse for Sunderland, and the reality is that there were many problems at the club back then, which is why they suffered so much on the pitch.

As he points out, the second season wasn’t as intrusive with the cameras, so there is always a balance, and it appears Sunderland got it wrong for the first time.

For Honeyman, it’s an experience he probably won’t have again, so it’s something for him to reflect on, but he undoubtedly enjoyed his time at Sunderland on the whole, with his only focus now on helping Millwall up the table.