Sunderland AFC's stunning team they could name today had they kept their best players | OneFootball

What would the Black Cats' squad look like had they kept all their best players from the past ten years?

A harsh reality of football, especially in the EFL, is that supporters must now and again watch former alumni move on to bigger and better things, be it expected, or a complete surprise.

Having appeared in each of England's top-three tiers in equal measure over the past decade, Sunderland are a team that have seen a vast array of players through their doors in recent times, some good, some... better off not mentioning. But what if the Black Cats somehow managed to retain the cream of the crop?

Football League World has endeavored to find out what is the best possible XI that Sunderland could assemble this season had they kept hold of all their players in the past ten years (2014-15 onwards). This includes current players and loan signings that realistically could have ended up as permanent transfers (not you Amad Diallo).

GK - Jordan Pickford

Peaking early with the best player in the squad by far, Jordan Pickford, is quite simply an England and Everton legend.

Homegrown Pickford played just 35 times for his beloved Sunderland, as the shot-stopper became first choice in 2016-17. Despite valiant efforts, the club were relegated, though a summer transfer to Everton earned the club £30m at an imperative time of financial uncertainty.

Pickford has won Everton's player of the season four times, and has been a mainstay in the most successful England team since the 1960s.

The 30-year-old keeper has amassed over 70 England caps, and will undoubtedly go on to eclipse David Seaman and Joe Hart's tally of 75 to become the second-most trusted goalkeeper in Three Lions history, behind Peter Shilton.

RB - Javier Manquillo

A bit of a controversial figure on Wearside, as Javier Manquillo spent one season at Sunderland, got them relegated, then moved across to arch rivals Newcastle United.

Currently playing for Celta Vigo in Spain's top flight, Manquillo is perhaps the least inspiring addition to the squad, exemplifying a dearth of talented right-backs at the club over the years.

CB - Sebastián Coates

The two-time Liga Portugal winning captain has gone on to have a wonderful career since leaving England.

Sebastián Coates rose to fame in 2011, as the then 20-year-old played every game in Uruguay's winning Copa América campaign, winning the defender the competition's young player of the tournament award.

This earned Coates a move to Liverpool, and although he did score a stunning bicycle kick versus QPR shortly after arrival, his tenure at Anfield was short-lived.

Coates spent two seasons at Sunderland between 2014 and 2016 before being snapped up by Sporting Lisbon, for whom he would go on to make over 350 appearances.

Coates, now 34, has returned to Uruguayan giants National in a presumed epilogue to a fine career, though on quality alone, he is certainly still good enough to enter this side.

CB - Jason Denayer

Still just 29 years of age, Jason Denayer has had an impressive career thus far.

Making his international debut in 2015, at just 19-years-old, in a golden generation of Belgians exemplified his immense potential, as the defender would go on to win SPL young player of the year that same season.

Denayer would join Sunderland on loan in 2016-17, but may have made his situation permanent had the club not been relegated that same season. Denayer played 24 Premier League games as the Wearside club finished rock bottom.

After impressive spells at Galatasaray and Lyon, Denayer now plays his football at Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League, remaining a Belgium international despite playing outside of Europe.

LB - Patrick Van Aanholt

Completing an extremely experienced back four is former Dutch international Patrick Van Aanholt.

Having last been seen winning the Eredivisie with boyhood club PSV Eindhoven this past May, the 34-year-old left-back is currently without a club, though is not yet retired.

PVA is known for being an incredibly offensive full-back, with 20 Premier League goals to his name, seven for Sunderland.

A bright spark during a turbulent time at the Stadium of Light, Van Aanholt joined Crystal Palace in 2017 following the Black Cat's relegation.

CM - Daniel Neil

Through lack of any retrospectively quality midfielders from years gone by, current Sunderland captain Daniel Neil makes the cut in CDM.

The man from South Shields bleeds red and white, having played over 150 times for the Black Cats aged just 22.

CM - Chris Rigg

Perhaps the most promising EFL talent since Jude Bellingham, Chris Rigg has generated significant excitement and high expectations among fans and scouts alike.

Aged just 15, Rigg appeared for the Black Cats in an FA Cup fixture in January 2023, becoming their youngest ever debutant.

Since then, his meteoric rise has seen the now 17-year-old quickly become a regular fixture in the first-team, impressing with his uncanny maturity in midfield. His technical skill and aggressive playing style have marked him as one of the brightest prospects in world football, prompting interest from Manchester United.

While it may seem premature to include the England U18 international in this lineup, such is the ability of the boy from Hebburn, the spot had to be his.

RW - Antoine Semenyo

The last of three loan signings featured in the XI, Antoine Semenyo, played just a handful of games for the Black Cats in 2020. However, it was the manor in which his time in the North East was cut short that makes the winger a viable 'what if'.

The Ghanaian international joined Sunderland on deadline day, winter 2020. He would play seven times for the club before the League One season was curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Cruelly, Sunderland finished just one point outside the play-off places with ten games normally still to go, securing another year in the third-tier.

Phil Parkinson was reportedly keen on offering Semenyo a permanent deal, though the London-born forward decided to battle for Championship minutes. In hindsight, this was an astute decision for the then 20-year-old, as he is now arguably the star player for Premier League Bournemouth.

LW - Jack Clarke

Jack Clarke's talents are still fresh in Mackem's memory. Joining in January 2022, initially on loan from Tottenham, the young winger from York has been an ever-present in all things good for the club this decade.

Clarke immediately became an important part of the squad, playing 20 times as the Black Cats finally achieved promotion back to the second-tier. In the opposite scenario to Semenyo, the promise of Championship football convinced Clarke to make his deal at the Stadium of Light permanent.

His two years in the Championship saw 42 goal involvements in 89 games, making him one of the best players in the division.

In late August, the allure of Premier League football pried the 23-year-old away from Wearside, as he joined newly promoted Ipswich Town.

CF - Fabio Borini

Fabio Borini had a memorable spell at Sunderland, where he initially joined on loan from Liverpool in 2013. Known for his hard work and knack for an important goal, he was crucial to the team surviving a relegation battle in 2016, most notably a last minute equaliser vs Crystal Palace and a goal against former club Chelsea in a 3-2 win.

During his time at Sunderland, he scored 17 goals in 93 appearances and became a fan favorite for his passionate play​.

After leaving in 2017, Borini played for AC Milan and later moved to clubs in Turkey. Currently, he plays in Italy’s Serie B with Sampdoria, whom he joined in October 2023, aiming to help them regain top-flight status​.

ST - Josh Maja

Having had something of a unique career so far, Josh Maja is currently staking a claim for the Championship golden boot with West Brom.

The Nigeria international from Lewisham was a top, top prospect at Sunderland, scoring 15 goals in the first half of the 2018-19 League One season, aged just 20.

This sensational form earned the striker a move to then-Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, where he would rub shoulders with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. His time at Sunderland, and subsequent transfer, was incredibly well documented in the Netflix documentary 'Sunderland 'Til I Die'.

Maja would score just nine goals in France's top flight, and was forced to leave Les Girondins as financial struggles put the club's very existence in doubt.

At 25-years-old, he is beginning to show his true potential as a goalscorer with West Brom.