Sunderland AFC landed a Wearside hero with solid £6m signing: View | OneFootball

Lee Cattermole spent ten years at the Stadium of Light, becoming a hugely influential figure for Sunderland

Despite coming through the academy ranks and making 91 appearances for rivals Middlesbrough, Lee Cattermole became a key player for Sunderland during his ten-year stay at the Stadium of Light.

The midfielder spent the bulk of his career as a Black Cats player, playing in three divisions for the club, and while the way it ended was far from perfect, no one can dispute what a good signing he was.

Sunderland paid just £6million to sign him from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009, and they certainly got their money's worth, with Cattermole becoming a mainstay in their Premier League side, helping to keep them in the division for eight years despite some close shaves with relegation.

It's not unfair to say that Cattermole may not have been the most technically gifted player in the world, but his attitude, hunger and mentality meant that he was a hugely influential figure for Sunderland, and a real leader that players would work hard for.

Lee Cattermole became a hero at the Stadium of Light

Given his links with Middlesbrough, one of Sunderland's rivals, there may have been scepticism around Cattermole's signing when he arrived in 2009, but it didn't take too long to win over the club's fans.

He became a regular starter as soon as he joined the club, and despite a nasty injury in his first season, he still played 22 games, helping the club to a very respectable 13th place finish.

It quickly became apparent that Cattermole was a leader and a key figure for Sunderland, and he wore the captain's armband at times during the 2010/11 season, before being rewarded with it on a full-time basis the following season.

Sunderland secured their status as an established Premier League club during Cattermole's time at the Stadium of Light, but after finishing 13th, 10th, and 13th in his first three seasons, they soon began to struggle.

Cattermole played just ten games through injury during the 2012/13 campaign, and his side narrowly avoided the drop, finishing 17th and perhaps showing just how important he was.

Over the course of the next couple of seasons, Sunderland would always look destined for relegation before somehow completing the great escape, and Cattermole's leadership and never say die attitude were undoubtedly huge reasons for their survival.

The club looked doomed to be relegated to the Championship during the 2013/14 season, but an incredible late run of form which saw them win four on the bounce saw them stay up and finish in 14th place.

It's perhaps no coincidence that the late run of form came when Cattermole was at full fitness, and it was clear that he was a vital cog in the Black Cats' midfield.

Sunderland stayed up by the skin of their teeth over the next two seasons in 2015 and 2016, but they were finally relegated in 2017, with Cattermole playing just eight league games due to injury.

It was clear that the loss of his experience and quality in the middle of the park was a big reason as to why they finished bottom of the league, and things continued to get worse for the Black Cats.

However, after joining the club for a bargain £6million in 2009, no one can dispute that Cattermole was a key player for Sunderland in the Premier League, and who knows what would have happened had he not missed the 2016/17 season through injury.

Lee Cattermole didn't get the end to his Sunderland career he deserved

Cattermole remained at Sunderland after relegation to the Championship, and he actually had a fruitful season in terms of appearances, playing 35 games, but it was yet another disaster on the pitch, and they were relegated again.

This meant that the midfielder was a League One player for the 2018/19 season, a huge fall from grace after playing in the Premier League just two years prior, and it was unfair that a player of his calibre was plying his trade in the third tier of English football.

However, it shows just how committed and loyal he was to the club that he remained with them after two consecutive relegations, and it's perhaps no wonder he became a hero at the Stadium of Light.

He enjoyed a good season in front of goal, scoring seven times in 36 appearances, but heartbreakingly, his side lost the League One play-off final against Charlton Athletic, as well as losing the EFL Trophy final against Portsmouth on penalties.

It meant that not only did Sunderland come away empty-handed, but they also missed out on an immediate return to the Championship.

That play-off final defeat was Cattermole's final appearance in a Sunderland shirt, and it's fair to say that after 262 appearances he deserved to finish on a more positive note.

After 10 years at the club, he joined Dutch side VVV-Venlo on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, spending just one season in the Eredivisie before retiring in 2020 at the age of 32.

After ten years of service and 262 appearances, it's fair to say that Cattermole is a hero on Wearside, and while it may not have ended how he deserved to finish his time at the club, the £6million they paid to sign him in 2009 was an absolute bargain.