10 Sunderland Players Who Really Weren't Worth The Hassle

2. Titus Bramble

Surely Sunderland have now learned their lessons about signing former Newcastle United players. At least in the case of Clark and Chopra, they hadn't advertised themselves as running jokes in the Premier League, liable to acts of buffoonery and shambolic play. When Bramble hangs up his boots at the end of his career, he certainly won't have too many newspaper clippings hung to a bedside clipboard, such were his legions of critics. Prone to erratic ball control, losses of concentration and nonsensical decision-making, the former Ipswich Town centre-half has established himself as one of the most bizarre Premier League defenders of his generation. The reason he makes this list, however, is not just for his penchant for the ridiculous, but a slightly darker element. In September 2010, nobody was laughing anymore as Bramble, alongside his brother Tesfaye, was arrested on suspicion of rape. While his brother was eventually jailed for the assault, the former Newcastle centre-half was cleared of all charges, but not until after a protracted and lengthy court case had rumbled on. In September 2011, he was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class A drug, and was temporarily suspended and fined by the Black Cats, for bringing the club into disrepute. He would later be cleared of these charges in May 2012. As a player, Bramble was largely forgettable for the Black Cats, which was hardly surprising, considering he had this dark shadow looming over him for most of his three-year stay on Wearside. One particular moment to forget for the centre-half was a red card in a 5-1 defeat to his former side on Halloween in 2010.