Sunderland AFC's decision to sanction swap deal will go down in history for all the right reasons: View | OneFootball

Highlights

During the 2012/13 campaign, an American forward in the Netherlands was continuing to make quite the splash.

After signing for AZ Alkmaar in 2011, Jozy Altidore seemed as though he had finally found a club and level at which he could exhibit his talent.

Having previously been on the books at Villareal, and on loan at the likes of Hull City and Bursaspor, it was for the Dutch side that the Jersey-born striker would really find his feet.

During the 2011/12 campaign, for example, his first season in the Netherlands, Altidore went on to score 20 goals in all competitions.

Altidore would follow that up with even better numbers in the 2012/13 season, too. That campaign, the forward netted 31 goals, as well as registering seven assists, in just 41 matches.

Sunderland sign Jozy Altidore

These numbers convinced Sunderland to snap up the American striker in the summer of 2013, but it would be fair to say that Altidore never lived up to expectations.

Far from it, in fact, with Sunderland having paid a reported £6 million for his signature.

Altidore went on to play 52 matches for the Black Cats, but scored just three goals for the club.

Sunderland deal will go down in history for all the right reasons

After such a poor record, it is unsurprising that Sunderland took the opportunity to offload Altidore and in turn, bring in Jermain Defoe in 2015.

The swap deal saw the English forward, who was 32 at the time, head to the North East, with Altidore returning to the United States.

For a number of reasons, this is a deal that will go down for all the right reasons from a Sunderland perspective.

First of all, Defoe proved to be a real hit for the Black Cats on the pitch, and despite being 32-years-old, Sunderland got two and a half good seasons out of him.

During his first few months at the club, for example, Defoe netted four goals in 17 appearances, helping Sunderland to stay up in 2014/15 by just three points.

His goal in a 1-0 victory over bitter rivals Newcastle in April was the highlight, endearing him to Sunderland's supporters as well as putting a crucial three points on the table.

The 2015/16 season would prove another difficult one for Sunderland, with the club either in, or just above the relegation zone throughout the season.

Fortunately, though, they had Defoe. The striker netted 15 league goals for the club that season, even skippering the side at times, and you do wonder where they would have been had it been Altidore lining up for them instead of Defoe himself.

Defoe netted five goals in his last nine league games of the season as Sunderland stayed up in 17th place.

Unfortunately, the following season in 2016/17 would end in relegation for Sunderland, but Defoe still did his part, scoring 15 goals that season.

Off the pitch at Sunderland, Defoe was also incredibly important, forming an incredible bond with Bradley Lowery - a young Sunderland fan diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was just 18 months old.

The pair were introduced in the Sunderland changing room, and went on to form a special bond as Bradley Lowery's story touched hearts across the country.

Tragically, Bradley Lowery passed away in 2017 but to this day, Defoe continues to discuss his connection with the youngster, having discussed their relationship earlier this year.

All in all, both on the pitch and off it, Jerman Defoe just seemed to 'get' Sunderland, and what the club was about.

If the club had spent millions on him, it would have proven a great deal, but the fact they got him in a swap deal for Jozy Altidore really does mean it's a deal that will be looked back on with real fondness in the years to come.