Coventry City star may still have Sunderland AFC, Everton regret | OneFootball

Ellis Simms should have had the opportunity to spend a full season at the Stadium of Light, but that was snatched away from him.

Sunderland had a big striker issue during much of the 2022/23 campaign under Tony Mowbray.

Ross Stewart started the season very well, making the step up from League One to the Championship seamlessly.

But unfortunately, the Scotsman spent the majority of the campaign out injured, sustaining two separate issues across the course of the campaign.

The second setback - an achilles injury - kept him out for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, which meant he wasn't there when the Black Cats were pushing for back-to-back promotions.

Not having Stewart at their disposal was a big blow, considering he had made a good start to 2022/23 and also did very well during the season before that, when they won promotion.

He could have made the difference at the end of the Wearside outfit's first season back in the English second tier.

Instead, the Black Cats' shortage of options both in the striker and centre-back area cost them in their play-off semi-final second leg tie at Luton Town, with the Hatters' 2-0 win taking Rob Edwards' side to Wembley.

Jack Clarke and Amad Diallo's contributions helped Mowbray's side to secure a place in the play-offs in the first place, but their lack of depth in a couple of key areas probably cost them in the end.

Ellis Simms' time at Sunderland AFC

Ellis Simms enjoyed a loan spell at Sunderland last season

Simms joined as another striker option in the summer of 2022, arriving on loan from Everton, having previously taken in temporary stints at Heart of Midlothian and Blackpool.

It was unclear how the young striker was going to perform, but it's fair to say that the forward thrived at the Stadium of Light.

He scored a brace on his league debut for the club away at Bristol City - and was also able to get himself on the scoresheet in a 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers.

In those two games alone, he helped the Black Cats to win an extra four points.

Simms spent time on the sidelines in September and October 2022 after sustaining an injury at Reading, but after his return, he was able to continue making a difference by earning the club extra points.

Scoring seven goals and registering two assists in 17 league appearances, it's fair to say that the forward was able to make a big difference in a short space of time.

Unfortunately for him, his spell on Wearside didn't continue and he was recalled by the Toffees, but he failed to make a real impact at Goodison Park during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

As mentioned above, the goals dried up for Simms once he returned to Merseyside.

If he had stayed on Wearside for the remainder of the season, he could have continued scoring regularly.

The Black Cats were able to make the top six without him, but it's clear that Joe Gelhardt wasn't a very good fit for Mowbray's system.

Simms, with his stature, was a good option, and he could have scored a vital goal or two at Kenilworth Road in the play-off semi-final second leg.

Even with the forward, the Black Cats may have struggled due to their lack of centre-back options, but the Wearside outfit took a 2-1 lead to Bedfordshire and Simms could have guided the Black Cats to Wembley.

You have to wonder whether Simms is still thinking: 'What if I had stayed with Sunderland for the rest of the 2022/23 season?'

The 23-year-old did manage to make it to Wembley with his current team last season, with Coventry City reaching the FA Cup semis.

Even so, he may still have regrets about his stay on Wearside being cut short - because he was developing well there under Mowbray.