Sunderland struck gold with 2014 transfer both on and off the pitch: View | OneFootball

Jermain Defoe was signed by the Black Cats from Toronto in 2014, with success both on and off the pitch.

Jermain Defoe signed for Sunderland in 2014 from MLS club Toronto – a move that would see him leave a lasting impact both on and off the pitch.

Whilst Defoe's time at the Stadium of Light will rightfully be remembered for his goalscoring numbers, the striker also formed a friendship with young Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery, who had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma.

The Englishman has since claimed that Lowery had become his "best friend" since asking for Defoe whilst struggling in hospital – a request the former England international fulfilled as he struck up a close relationship with the young fan and remained by his side throughout his illness. Lowery sadly passed away in 2017, aged 6.

Whilst his on-pitch performances granted enough love from the Black Cats support already, the connection that Defoe had with Lowery, as well as his other community work, meant the forward was really taken to Wearside hearts.

Jermaine Defoe's on-pitch success

Ten years ago, Sunderland found themselves floating just above the relegation zone in 14th place. With a lackluster start to the season, Sunderland were looking inept in front of goal, with the likes of Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham, and Connor Wickham struggling to find the back of the net.

The other striker in Red and White for the 2013/14 season was Jozy Altidore, whose issues in front of goal meant he made little impact - with the American striker scoring just one goal in his 42 appearances for The Black Cats.

5,485 miles away from the Stadium of Light, veteran striker Defoe was tearing it up in Canada, for the team in the capital, Toronto FC. Having signed from Tottenham Hotspur, the striker had accumulated 13 goal contributions in 17 starts – with 11 goals and two assists.

With Altidore not performing at the levels expected from a striker in the top flight of English football, Sunderland decided to take action. They had previously been linked with the Englishman in 2008, but he decided to join Portsmouth instead.

The Black Cats proposed a deal with Toronto, with Defoe moving to Wearside in a swap deal, with Sunderland paying Toronto an undisclosed fee in addition to Altidore for the ex-Tottenham striker.

He managed just four goals in half a season under Gus Poyet. But for Defoe, the best was yet to come in the North East.

Under newly appointed Advocaat, the highlight of Defoe's 2014/15 season came with a stunning volley to beat arch-rivals Newcastle United 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, with a strike which is by many regarded as one for the archives and one of the best goals of his illustrious career.

The Englishman scored 15 vital goals for Sunderland in the 2015/16 season, where they narrowly stayed up, finishing 17th. Defoe scored three times more goals than any of his Sunderland teammates.

During the 2016/17 season, the striker once again managed to score 15 goals for Sunderland. However, this was not enough to keep the Black Cats afloat, with them finishing rock bottom, accumulating a disappointing 24 points from the 38-game season.

Defoe left the club in 2017, returning to the South Coast to play for Bournemouth, where the striker scored just four league goals in a barren spell.

That was not the end of his Stadium of Light story, however, as after a Rangers stint he returned to Sunderland in 2022, in what looked like the final move of his career.

It would prove to be just that and an unconvincing spell for both player and the North East club – the experienced striker failing to find the net in any of his seven appearances.

However, his legacy lives on in Black Cats' folklore.

Whilst his impressive numbers paint a picture of Defoe's successes, the connection that was formed between the striker and Bradley Lowery will never be forgotten in Sunderland folklore and warmed the hearts of the nation.