The Sunderland cult hero who echoes Hasselbaink and Viduka – & rejected Man Utd | OneFootball

Much like any sentient being who has either lived through or been able to retrospectively experience late 1990s to early 2000s Carlingsmen and Barclaycardsmen Premiership strikers, or more specifically Middlesbrough supporters between 2004 and 2006 must, Thierry Henry was “thinking about Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka”.

It was a moment of contemplation triggered by a goal which perfectly defines Brian Brobbey’s first season in the Premier League, and thus Sunderland’s first campaign back in the top flight in nine years.

The Black Cats have rescued the second-most points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, and Brobbey’s six goals have been responsible for an absurd amount of them.

But his strike against Crystal Palace in January was the gold standard: a late winner which immediately triggered a bout of celebratory cramp.

Coming in the 71st minute, it actually remains one of the earlier goals from a player who persists until the bitter end.

There have been equalisers scored in the 94th (vs. Arsenal) and 80th (vs. Spurs), a single consolation in the 66th (vs. West Ham), and winners netted in the 69th (vs. Bournemouth), 71st (vs. Palace) and now 90th (v Newcastle) since Brobbey joined Sunderland from Ajax.

All of his half-dozen goals were the last of the game, all but one were result-altering moments of intervention, and the most recent secured his place in Sunderland folklore.

Hasselbaink and Viduka scored a combined 219 Premier League goals but likely never faced such little resistance in doing so as Brobbey in the final minute of a Tyne-Wear derby with the scores level.

With some basic movement he eluded all defensive attention to ghost to the front post, meet Enzo Le Fee’s drilled cross, convert the follow-up from Aaron Ramsdale’s save, complete Sunderland’s comeback from a goal down and then remove his shirt in unbridled euphoria.

For a player Sunderland weren’t even going to sign, things have gone well.

“It’s the unpredictability of the market. It is crazy,” said Regis Le Bris back in January. “It wasn’t the priority, so with Brian, we had a conversation at the beginning of the market, then Marc Guiu was connected with us, went to Chelsea because of an injury and finally the spot was open and Brian was possible.”

It might be the biggest impact Liam Delap has had on a team this season.

And for Brobbey, the journey to the Premier League after wisely rejecting a reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United has been arduous and meandering, but already well worth the wait.