10 Sunderland Players Who Really Weren't Worth The Hassle

4. Ji Dong-won

It was certainly a surprising move when this Sunderland reject ended up at German giants Borussia Dortmund this summer, having netted just twice for the Black Cats in a frustratingly barren spell at the Stadium of Light. However, for all his deficiencies and profligacy in front of goal, the reason for his lofty position in this list is because of the sheer panic he induced in the club towards the tail end of last season, as rumours began to circulate that the club could be demoted to the second tier as a result of him. With club secretary Liz Coley having failed to spot that the South Korean had played four league games without international clearance, Sunderland quickly confessed to the Premier League when they realised their administrative error and were fined in October. Ji also played in Sunderland's 4-2 victory over MK Dons in the early rounds of the Capital One Cup - a competition that they would reach the final in. The Football League would fine them for this as well, although their opponents that day were said to be furious that the Black Cats weren't instead thrown out of the competition. Due to Sunderland's co-operation, they were not punished with a points deduction and accepted their fines. While it is completely unfair to blame Ji for any part in this, as it was entirely the fault of the administrative team, some Sunderland supporters might have sighed in exasperation that the fortunes of their club were in the balance due to one of the worst players on their books.