10 Shocking Sunderland Departures That Nobody Expected

10. Stephane Sessegnon

It may be an exaggeration to describe six million pound move to West Brom as one "nobody expected", but it was certainly one which divided fan opinion. The Benin international was an occasional talisman for Sunderland during his two and a half seasons at the club, often turning in unplayable performances from his advanced midfield position. Unfortunately for the Black Cats, he only seemed to produce such games when the mood took him, often anonymous and ineffective. Paolo Di Canio's decision to sell Sessegnon was something of a surprise among Sunderland fans, but wasn't greeted with the disapproval it may have deserved. In selling the club's chief creative force, Di Canio was stamping his authority and displaying an emphasis on industriousness over everything else - but it was a decision which would ultimately come back to bite him. Sessegnon scored one of the goals in West Brom's 3-0 rout of the Black Cats, a game which saw Di Canio stride over to the travelling Wearsiders at full time and motion for them to keep their chins up. It was his last game in charge.