10 Shocking Sunderland Departures That Nobody Expected

4. Roy Keane

Certainly never a player for the Black Cats, but we couldn't leave Roy Keane off this list. The manager's acrimonious (and rather unexpected) departure left Sunderland firmly in the lurch midway through the 2008/09 Premier League campaign, the club languishing in relegation amid rumours of friction between Keane and majority shareholder Ellis Short. The club looked doomed, but an unexpected surge in morale was provided in the gentler form of longtime coach Ricky Sbragia. The Scot narrowly led Sunderland to safety, following a dramatic final-day survival which saw both Newcastle and Middlesbrough relegated to the Championship.