10 Players Who Probably Regret Leaving Sunderland
The grass ain't always greener...
Owen Humphreys/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesPlayers come and players go, some stick with you, and some are irreplaceable when they leave. Sunderlands ups and downs since the turn of the new century are such, that written down it would make a compelling, though ultimately unbelievable screenplay. Obviously, it is due to these low points that Sunderland have had to shed or lose players they havent wanted to get rid of. On some occasions it has been beyond our control, while there have been plenty of players who have spoken so fondly of their time here that they must hanker regrets that they ever had to leave before their playing days were up. Here is a run-through of what I believe are the ten players who most regret leaving Sunderland for one reason or another. There are plenty of former heroes and one or two villains in the pack, feel free to comment and come up with your own list. It will be interesting to see who else could have made the cut. 10. Don Hutchison
Tony Marshall/EMPICS SportThe first one on the list in reverse order may be a little controversial. However, the former Everton player and Sunderlands Player of the Season of 2000/01 surprisingly wanted to leave the setup at the Stadium of Light as the following season began. After emerging as the outstanding player for Peter Reids seventh place finishers, in the process scoring some very important strikes, his protests that he wanted to leave for West Ham left fans shocked and disappointed. Several theories have been put forward, including the official line that the player wanted to move for purely footballing reasons. It was said the previous season he had at times felt isolated, in terms of support while playing a more forward role granted. It was also thought he hadnt enjoyed playing on the right for most of the season on Wearside. However, at West Ham he played very much the same position for them in a very talented midfield that also consisted of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard. Hutchison had a good season, as did West Ham but it was short lived. Injuries put pay to the rest of his West Ham career while the Hammers were also relegated within the season. Hutchison would never get back to his best, while Sunderland would never replace his influence or goals from midfield.