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When John O'Shea signed for Sunderland aged 30, he had his doubters, but the Republic of Ireland international made an impact on Wearside.

When Sunderland signed ex-Manchester United duo, John O'Shea and Wes Brown, in 2011, many fans were saying the same thing despite the pair's success at Old Trafford.

O'Shea and Brown were signed by Steve Bruce in a bid to add much-needed experience to the Black Cats' back line for the new season, having finished in an impressive tenth position the season before.

The pair had won it all with Sir Alex Ferguson's United, with three Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, 12 Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and five League Cups between them.

However, some were critical of the signings. At 30 and 31 years of age, many claimed that O'Shea and Brown were past their peak, but O'Shea proved doubters wrong with a memorable stint at the Stadium of Light.

John O'Shea joined a strong Sunderland side in 2011

When the Republic of Ireland international arrived at the club, many thought that the 30-year-old was entering his version of a retirement home, given he had already won it all with the Red Devils.

Sunderland were going swimmingly in the Premier League and were enjoying their best era in the division since Peter Reid was at the helm. The former manager guided them to two seventh place finishes in consecutive years, in 1999/00 and 2000/01.

The Wearsiders' squad for the 2011/12 season included several iconic Barclaysmen, which will have fans reminiscing about the good times. O'Shea joined the likes of Seb Larsson, Stephane Sessengon and Asamoah Gyan at the club. Furthermore, Sunderland had the controversial figure of Nicklas Bendtner on loan from Arsenal.

During O'Shea's first season at the club, the defender slotted in at right-back and wore the captain's armband on several occasions in the absence of Lee Cattermole.

O'Shea was a mainstay in the Sunderland side and became the club's captain on a permanent basis. The right-back's professionalism and commitment was there for all to see, and the Irishman always spoke positively in press conferences.

Given that O'Shea was never known for his pace, it is inspiring that the defender played six seasons in the Premier League for Sunderland. Kyle Walker's pace has kept him playing at the highest level, and he is 34, so credit must go to O'Shea for adapting his game with age.

John O'Shea lived the highs and lows at Sunderland

During his lengthy stint on Wearside, O'Shea was part of several fond memories for Black Cats fans. From the endless derby day wins over Newcastle United to Sunderland's epic League Cup run in 2014, O'Shea was present for them all and lived and breathed life on Wearside.

The former Man United man made 189 Premier League appearances for the club before their inevitable relegation to the Championship in 2017.

Although those were grim times, O'Shea remained positive as always and aimed to drive Sunderland back to the Premier League at the first attempt. However, the misery kept piling on and the Wearsiders were doomed to a second relegation in as many seasons.

Credit must be afforded to O'Shea during such a turbulent time at the club. While the likes of Didier Ndong and Papy Djilobodji were not even turning up for training, O'Shea was there through it all and was a true inspiration to the squad.

The Republic of Ireland international left the Stadium of Light with his head held high and 256 appearances under his belt. In 2018, the defender joined Reading, where he made 11 appearances before he retired aged 38.

Not many players are able to sustain a career in professional football for 20 years and the fact that the defender finished his career in the Championship highlights the work the Irishman put in, in order to maintain his career.

Although O'Shea will be remembered for his wealth of honours at Man United, the Irishman will forever be remembered fondly by Black Cats supporters. The defender forged a lengthy stint on Wearside and showed true heart, leadership and professionalism during his time at the club.

It is no surprise that the former Sunderland man is assistant coach for the Republic of Ireland. O'Shea is a natural-born leader and any player would be lucky to learn from such an inspiring icon.

Although the defender had his doubters due to his age, O'Shea was a success during his time at the Stadium of Light.

The Republic of Ireland international remained on Wearside for seven years and captained the side through most of that time.

Having lived through the highs and lows of the Sunderland modern day era, O'Shea proved his doubters wrong and will be aiming to accomplish much in his coaching career.