Luke O'Nien on Sunderland debut scars and his evolving role before club’s second European campaign | OneFootball

Luke O’Nien has reflected on how a bruising Sunderland debut still shapes him as the Black Cats prepare for only their second European campaign.

“Three years. Maybe not completely healed as well. I think scars are left and they’re there for a reason.” He was speaking on The High Performance Podcast.

The former Wycombe Wanderers man arrived in 2018, starting Jack Ross’s League One opener against Charlton Athletic, but he was replaced at half-time after a poor first half.

Sunderland still won it with a late Lynden Gooch strike, and O’Nien’s career on Wearside has flourished since. Now 31, he has made over 330 appearances and helped take the club into the Europa League alongside AC Milan, Juventus and Marseille.

“My job now is just to make sure that people are in their best playing state, whatever that looks like. I don’t know what that looks like for next season because I don’t know how people are. I may need to rely on other people.”

“It’s trying to see where they are at, trying to see what they need and then build relationships and see if we can help one another. In the last three or four years, we go on an away trip, we sometimes sit there until 10, 11 at night, talking about this stuff.”

Source: Sunderland Echo

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